Coryza.... culling?

[raeleigh26]

I've got 12 birds left out of 34 after a coryza outbreak, the birds are over it now, 3 weeks past, and given that I sell birds and eggs I've decided to cull and start over.
My neighbors brought it in with their flock of mixed birds from other farms and they've agreed to cull as well.
My questions are these, first, I hate to cull as many of those survived have been pets, but I also hate to waste them. .. is the meat safe for consumption? I plan on culling in the spring. ..
Second, I've read conflicting opinions or experiences with hatching from the infected flock, but I've bred and raised my birds to be specific to my needs, (meat birds crossed with barred rock and bantam for good sized eggs, sufficient meat, and broodiness) most sites state that is not vertically transmitted through the egg, and I plan on leaving the coop and grounds to rest 60 days (I have a separate place for hatchlings to grow)does anyone have solid experience with reinfection from hatching? I'll be hatching for my neighbors as well. ..
Third, their illness was 2-3 weeks, cleared symptoms with sulmet and tetracycline, I don't have any reason to suspect there was a secondary infection, (mg?) But I don't want to take any chances, what other measures can I take to prevent further issues?
Thank you in advance. ... I've had poultry for over 15 years and only ever dealt with one case of bumblefoot. .. I've always been vigilant in my management practices, but wasn't prepared for my neighbors to bring in sick birds. .. and I'm not sure where to go from here.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hopefully others with more experience having sick birds and dealing with this will chime in.
Gosh, that is an awful story. I'm sorry that you are dealing with this.I usually recommend getting a least one or more birds tested, or have a necropsy done by your state vet to know the exact disease. Many look alike, and can have more than one disease at once. MG. coryza, ILT, infectious bronchitis, and even E.coli can be present. MG and coryza die in the environment within days after the chickens are gone, but ILT can hang around for months.
I'm not sure about eating the meat, especially after medicating them with Sulfa, but many use a meat withdrawal time--probably a month would work. MG definitely can spread through hatching eggs as well as a few other diseases, but coryza does not..