Help me decide........Should I cull my flock and start over?

[Nicole01]

My flock got sick right off the bat in the brooder. I'm assuming it was pnemounia. I kept them alive and I will be prepared for any illness in the future. I can't imagine being without any one of them, but they are our pets. Eggs are just a bonus!

Really, it's up to you. Chickens get sick often from what I gather. This same thing could happen again after starting over.

 

[StevenW.]

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I personally didn't pass this information along. Never talked to a vet regarding Coryza. Very sorry for your loss.

Oh nonono! I wasn't talking to you, Sharon.

 

[tiki244]

This sounds like the stress disease (MG) Mycoplasma Gallisepticum. (I hope I got that right) A friend of mine had her flock get this last summer when she brought home some birds from a swap. She talked to the state vet. They said that she should have a closed flock. No birds leaving her place alive. She was a bit over reacting and I thought that was a bit extreme so I called the state vet and talked to him(a different vet but same office) He said that most backyard flocks have some of this in them if you show or swap or even set foot on another's property. He also said there was a treatment of off lable use medication. Denagard I have read on here that some people use this. I talked to another state vet, when I was getting my testing certification and she said that Turkeys are tested for it regularly because it is a big problem with them, but chickens arent. I will get that link for you now.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=392918

 

[greenkjb]

Since there are many pages I have not read through all of the posts so I'm sure someone posted this already. I strongly suggest you get a chicken necropsied through your state or vet. That way you will know exactly what is going through your flock and whether or not you can treat them. My very first chickens came to me sick. The vet suggested the necropsy and it let us know that my chickens had come to me with both strains of mycoplasma, so they would be carriers for life. I gave them all back to the person I bought them from, and it was really nice to have proof of exactly what they were infected with. Sorry your chickys are sick

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

 

[greenkjb]

Started reading through the rest of the posts. My first flock tested positive for MG. I was told by my vet and through research that MG does not live for long without chickens as they lack a cell wall. My coop sat vacant for 8 months and then I sprayed it down with an Oxine solution. I know that the 8 months was plenty long enough. You could probably have everything sit for a month and then clean it out and be fine..

 

[al6517]

You have no idea how many hatcheries are selling CRD/MG infected birds and the epidemic is growing, since testing for it is not required, I read an article in a well know poultry publication that covered the topic. It had some merit.

 

[chicmom]

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I will remember that. I thought of putting it in the sand in the run. I wonder if that's a good idea too. I hadn't thought of putting lime inside the coop....

Thanks for the information, I really appreciate it!

 

[chicmom]

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I really like that idea! Thank you.

 

[chicmom]

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That's a very good point! Thank you!

 

[chicmom]

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Tiki! That is EXACTLY what I think they have. Another member sent me some links about it. He also shared a link with me about the Denegard, which I bought today. I took the sick hen into the basement last night, and gave her Tylan. She also improved overnight. Still some respiratory signs of illness, but no loud weezing. Another hen was also sneezing today, so I put the Denegard into the drinking water and everybody drank quite a bit.

I think I have things under control, but I am definitely keeping a closed flock. I can keep my birds, but be responsible too. YAY!

Thanks for the information!