HENS DYING!! Bellies bloating and mushy! Please help!

[speckledhen]

Wish I knew more about it to tell you. I know with Mycoplasma Galliseptum, they can be carriers for awhile, then show symptoms, but honestly, I'm not all that sure about MS. crazyhen here on BYC was the person I was talking about. She may know more to tell you. I'll PM her with this thread link.

 

[crazyhen]

Yes, your hens could have had the ms from birth. They might show no symptoms until stressed. Also it could have been brought to your flock by eggs, clothing, shoes or wild birds. I have a closed run but a bird could have flown over and dropped a feather or poop. Then it would have been there. The first stages usually show resp. sneezing. Then the other symptoms appear in the hens later as the joints are more involved. Its a lot like arthritus in people but much more serious down the line. It is very contagious.
This is what I did. Num. one culled my entire flock! Then took out all bedding, put in a real floor, scrubbed everything with vikron-s. I sprayed the soil in the run also with virkron-s. It kills viruses in soiled areas better than clorine. The Ms dies after about two weeks on surfaces but last longer on manure and feathers. I also added fresh sand to the run that I have covered. The rest I limed well and planted alfalfa seed. I painted the inside and outside of my coop and cleanned everything again with clorox. When dry I added the bedding. I waited three months and got chicks from a source that had hers checked 3 months before for the disease. Also I ordered Denaguard. Its an antibiotic used for swine etc. that kills this particular virus. Experimentally I am using it at the rate of 8cc a gal in their water x three days in a row every two to three weeks to prevent re-infection. So far so good. I have not had them checked as they are only now 4 months old. They will be checked soon.
That was such a sad time for me and I miss my sweet hens I had before still. I still have their pictures. They were good layers also. I so hope this helps some. Gloria Jean

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you , Gloria Jean.

 

[crazyhen]

Very Welcome. Cyn. I hope it helped some.
I too have the low thyroid problem. Good luck with your test . I hope that LH still wants the splash roo. I have talked and no one here appreciates a beautiful splash roo. Hes a biggy like his Grandaddy.
I have two NH from Kathy and two Bl English mix from Beth. I can not to do me good figure out if they are males. They are hugh. Beautiful too. I sent one packing a month ago he had a larger red comb and wattles .Now the other ones are getting them at 4 months old. I figure I will know if they crow or lay one day. My lavender orps from Kathy are imposible to decide too. No comb growth on either one but they are shaped different. Ones tail up and one down, go figure.
Hope all is well Gloria Jean

 

[Tmatthews]

Thank you crazyhen! I think the 2 pullets we bought a few months back brought this to my others. I think at this point I'm going to wait it out before I put the other 3 chickens down. Just in case it's not this particular disease. But if it is, I guess I'll have a "sad time" also. I love them so much!