I have to cull the flock of my dreams

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
There's nothing wrong with wanting specialty birds. And you weren't just being negligent - it sounds like you had a rough summer with surgeries and recovery! It's very sad that you have coryza and I do agree that it's better to cull than to let them be carriers for life and have to worry about a closed flock. I know it hurts and it's hard to lose a lot of money but please don't be hard on yourself - this isn't your fault and I'm sure your husband did the best he could, too.

I would consider the testing but with that smell it's certainly coryza. So you'd have to weigh the cost versus having an official diagnosis.

Don't give up on your dream - it sounds like a wonderful way to spend your retirement!

X2.

 

[chkn]

I wouldn't cull them over coryza. Coryza's just a broad term for a respiratory infection, right? Anyway, you need to treat them all with Sulmet now, right?

 

[Pickaduck]

Quote:
No.. it's a highly contagious respiratory infection with foul smelling discharge. A lot of folks recommend depopulation so you don't have to worry about a closed flock because they are carriers for life so you can't sell birds or hatching eggs. But you can treat.. however, you have to weigh the pros and cons as to what it would entail to keep the flock versus culling, disinfecting and starting over.

 

[flowerchild59]

When I added the adendum, I guess I didn't want to be labeled as some newbie flock owner. I have never had birds with any issues respiratory wise, so am taken back somewhat by all of this. I built them a beautiful coop, big enough to be a 2 car garage and house several breeds independently. I had healthier birds with my ramshackle coop that the coons visited every chance they took. I guess my hens never got the chance to get sick. They were too busy running from predators!!!
I drive tomorrow up to centralia IL to take the two birds for their testing/necropsy. I pass thru Tamroa Illinois where my mother and her family is from. I haven't been there in 20 years. Maybe I will try to find my grand parents and other relatives graves while I am at it. Make this trip worthwhile. I feel like my hens are on some bataan death march to south central illinois.

 

[welasharon]

I am so sorry you are having to deal with this.

 

[chkn]

Quote:
No.. it's a highly contagious respiratory infection with foul smelling discharge. A lot of folks recommend depopulation so you don't have to worry about a closed flock because they are carriers for life so you can't sell birds or hatching eggs. But you can treat.. however, you have to weigh the pros and cons as to what it would entail to keep the flock versus culling, disinfecting and starting over.

I see it referred to alot as a cold or roup. It sounds like it's basically a cold but the severity is based on the strength of the pathogen. The fact that it goes into the sinuses or into phneumonia is probably secondary. I wouldn't cull mine. Chickens get colds all the time!!! Besides, it says it's very common in backyard flocks. Well, I guess it depends on what you want to do with them but I don't think you'll ever get rid of all the pathogens. They've been around longer than we have probably.


"Infectious Coryza
Synonyms: roup, cold, coryza

Species affected: chickens, pheasants, and guinea fowl. Common in game chicken flocks.

Clinical signs: Swelling around the face, foul smelling, thick, sticky discharge from the nostrils and eyes, labored breathing, and rales (rattles -- an abnormal breathing sound) are common clinical signs. The eyelids are irritated and may stick together. The birds may have diarrhea and growing birds may become stunted (see Table 1 ).

Mortality from coryza is usually low, but infections can decrease egg production and increase the incidence and/or severity of other diseases. Mortality can be as high as 50 percent, but is usually no more than 20 percent. The clinical disease can last from a few days to 2-3 months, depending on the virulence of the pathogen and the existence of other infections such as mycoplasmosis.

Transmission: Coryza is primarily transmitted by direct bird-to-bird contact. This can be from infected birds brought into the flock as well as from birds which recover from the disease which remain carriers of the organism and may shed intermittently throughout their lives.. Birds risk exposure at poultry shows, bird swaps, and live-bird sales. Inapparent infected adult birds added into a flock are a common source for outbreaks. Within a flock, inhalation of airborne respiratory droplets, and contamination of feed and/or water are common modes of spread.

Treatment: Water soluble antibiotics or antibacterials can be used. Sulfadimethoxine (Albon

, Di-Methox™) is the preferred treatment. If it is not available, or not effective, sulfamethazine (Sulfa-Max

, SulfaSure™), erythromycin (gallimycin

), or tetracycline (Aureomycin

) can be used as alternative treatments. Sulfa drugs are not FDA approved for pullets older than 14 weeks of age or for commercial layer hens. While antibiotics can be effective in reducing clinical disease, they do not eliminate carrier birds.

Prevention: Good management and sanitation are the best ways to avoid infectious coryza. Most outbreaks occur as a result of mixing flocks. All replacement birds on "coryza-endemic" farms should be vaccinated. The vaccine (Coryza-Vac) is administered subcutaneously (under the skin) on the back of the neck. Each chicken should be vaccinated four times, starting at 5 weeks of age with at least 4 weeks between injections. Vaccinate again at 10 months of age and twice yearly thereafter. "

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[al6517]

Yes they will be carriers for life and may even spread to other nearby farm flocks, the soil they were on will also be ifested and will remain so until a rigous treatment is administered. The reason we are having such a big outbreak of all these serious diseases is people won't cull and sell the problem to somebody else. I see where you have only 2 choices,,,,,,,,,,,,, keep the flock closed until all pass away............... or cull them for good................. hoping you won't sell them and spread the problem. Good luck to you whatever you decide.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Well you don't have to cull them all unless you were planning on breeding. Coryza is not something transferred to the chick through the egg, so you could still do that if you sold hatching eggs or practiced strict bio-security with chicks in the brooder. Otherwise just know that none of your adult birds should leave your place alive and that any new birds brought in will get it. But you don't have to cull them all.
You would also want to use coveralls and boots specifically for when you feed your infected birds, but you still don't need to cull them all.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:

Transmission occurs by direct bird to bird contact, inhalation of infectious aerosols coughed into the air, or through ingestion of contaminated feed and water. The organism can be transferred on contaminated clothing, equipment and fomites
​

--taken from http://www.peafowl.org/ARTICLES/15/

No other neighboring farms would become infected unless they are very close.​

 

[Shayna]

hi there, so sorry to hear about your flock. Please read this thread before you make a decision, as another person did a ton of great research and saved her flock. Good luck!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=69444&p=1