How to cull my entire flock of 60+ chickens?

[Shan30]

While I made the opposite decision, I completely understand your choice. If your neighbour continues to have infected birds there is no point in culling yours.

I would recommend, however, that you take biosecurity pretty seriously from here on out. Have boots and jacket that you only wear in the coop and thoroughly wash your hands after being around your birds. I would probably go as far as wearing fresh clean clothing when you head to the feed store. While its true that MG is not zoonotic to humans, wild birds and other people's flocks are at risk. So if you walk into the feed store with mucky boots and then someone else walks through there is definitely potential of infection of their flock.

In our case we are surrounded by 40 acres with no other domestic birds but many farms beyond that. I felt that the risk of a wild bird spreading it to other farms was unfair so we culled. I've heard many times that high percentages of birds have MG or mareks yet since I started drawing blood and sending in samples, I haven't had one test positive for either and my flock comes from four different sources. One being Beau Peep and they have birds from all over the place. It seems so irresponsible for a hatchery to knowingly perpetuate a disease that can be devastating to a flock. In some places MG among other poultry diseases is a controlled disease and your flock must be destroyed if they test positive as a means to control the spread. Yet a hatchery knowingly sells infected birds? I just don't get it.

K rant over hahaha! And really I agree with your decision, there's simply no point in culling with infected birds next door!

Hope your birds recover well from this outbreak!

 

[desertmarcy]

Also, Ideal Poultry says this:
Quote:
Interesting. Thanks for posting that. I had always assumed the big hatcheries were clean of MG. Did you call or email them for that information? I don't see it on their website.
I know it's a month later now, but what did you end up doing?

 

[DanielKYantis]

Sorta giving up... Just lost interest in the battle. Still feeding them and collecting eggs. But for as many birds as I have I get way less eggs than I should.

 

[DanielKYantis]

I got that letter from Callahan's who said it came directly to them from Ideal.

 

[desertmarcy]

Sorta giving up... Just lost interest in the battle. Still feeding them and collecting eggs. But for as many birds as I have I get way less eggs than I should.

I know how you feel. It is too bad. Chickens can be a lot of headache.

 

[Outpost JWB]

I had a very healthy wonderful flock. Over 100 chickens. This summer DHs dog attacked my chickens (not the 1st time) and killed all my Crested Cream Legbar hens and Barred Rock hens. I went to a chicken swap to try to replace some of the ones I lost. Never been to a chicken swap before, so I tried to be very careful. I bought 1 BR, 1 Jersey Giant, and 1 Easter Egger. I was very excited that the EE laid a green egg on the way home!! I put the 3 in the isolation pen. Treated them for worms, just in case. The next day I noticed heavy breathing from the EE and the BR acted a bit lethargic. I really wasn't too concerned, because this is why I isolate them. I treated them with tetracycline and they got better. 2 months later, put them in with my flock.

Now I have a flock that is infected with MG.

I've recently had 3 customers call and want to buy some of my pullets. I've had to tell them about my misfortune. I won't be known as the lady that sold sick chickens that infected entire flocks. I totally understand how you feel. I currently have a closed flock and do not have neighbors with chickens within 1/2 a mile. We'll see who makes it thru the winter.

 

[desertmarcy]

I had a very healthy wonderful flock. Over 100 chickens. This summer DHs dog attacked my chickens (not the 1st time) and killed all my Crested Cream Legbar hens and Barred Rock hens. I went to a chicken swap to try to replace some of the ones I lost. Never been to a chicken swap before, so I tried to be very careful. I bought 1 BR, 1 Jersey Giant, and 1 Easter Egger. I was very excited that the EE laid a green egg on the way home!! I put the 3 in the isolation pen. Treated them for worms, just in case. The next day I noticed heavy breathing from the EE and the BR acted a bit lethargic. I really wasn't too concerned, because this is why I isolate them. I treated them with tetracycline and they got better. 2 months later, put them in with my flock.

Now I have a flock that is infected with MG.

I've recently had 3 customers call and want to buy some of my pullets. I've had to tell them about my misfortune. I won't be known as the lady that sold sick chickens that infected entire flocks. I totally understand how you feel. I currently have a closed flock and do not have neighbors with chickens within 1/2 a mile. We'll see who makes it thru the winter.

This is the insidious nature of Mycoplasma, that it stays with the bird. Treatment only helps with symptoms but doesn't get rid of it. And being passed through the egg, chicks can be infected but not show symptoms until they are stressed, like when a pullet comes into lay or cockerels fighting among themselves, etc. Probably why it is so common in flocks.

 

[Mutt Farm]

This is the insidious nature of Mycoplasma, that it stays with the bird. Treatment only helps with symptoms but doesn't get rid of it. And being passed through the egg, chicks can be infected but not show symptoms until they are stressed, like when a pullet comes into lay or cockerels fighting among themselves, etc. Probably why it is so common in flocks.

Why then, for the good of the neighbors, our fellow keepers, the industry, the masses, the species, do hatcheries, breeders and folks not just belly up and cull a positive flock rather than breeding, incubating and selling positive birds? Sharing and spreading the disease? IMO, that's irresponsible.
ETA if you have a closed flock, careful biosecurity, nothing in or out, well, that's an option.

 

[desertmarcy]

Why then, for the good of the neighbors, our fellow keepers, the industry, the masses, the species, do hatcheries, breeders and folks not just belly up and cull a positive flock rather than breeding, incubating and selling positive birds? Sharing and spreading the disease? IMO, that's irresponsible.
ETA if you have a closed flock, careful biosecurity, nothing in or out, well, that's an option.

Most people don't even know they have it in their flock. How would you know, unless you are testing for it? The symptoms mimic other diseases.

 

[Mutt Farm]

Most people don't even know they have it in their flock. How would you know, unless you are testing for it? The symptoms mimic other diseases.

Thank you for replying! That's what is so worrysome for me. The OP's post, the reply from Ideal hatchery saying in my interpretation that yup, our birds might have it, we take no responsibility. I get latent diseases and carriers of those, FIP, FELV, etc in cats for instance, sometimes only show up when an animal is stressed or compromised. Same with seemingly healthy chickens. However, If I know I have an infected flock, know how tricky the disease is, why would I not either cut my losses and cull, or do my best to not perpetuate the disease? Why would I be incubating eggs from a known carrier flock? We're not talking about a backyard hobby flock here. We're talking about a lot of infected birds and more in the incubator . Will those fertile carrier eggs or pullets find their way to devastate the next new chicken keeper? With all respect to the OP, please turn off the bator. Please for everyone's sake, do your very best to not perpetuate. IMO, there is honor.