I have raised chickens for decades in Arkansas. I have never had a sick chicken in probably 10 years--until recently. I have a small chicken business.
A few years ago, I had chickens with respiratory symptoms. Several of the roosters and babies died. I took them to the state to get tested and they had MG and MS or Mycoplasma. I knew where I got it from because my friends chickens had the same disease and she had given me some chickens before I knew of the illness. We culled all of those birds. We waited maybe a year to start over.
These next set of birds came from the internet from an unknown person on Craigslist and Facebook. I intermingled them with other online birds. They were fine for months. One day, the roof failed and the water blew in on the birds. They got sick. I had them tested by the state again and they had Mycoplasma again--only it was MS this time and not MG. I culled them all.
I got rid of 100% of my chicks, chickens, all my eggs, EVERYTHING. Then, I cleaned and waited. The state lab told me to wait 90 days.
I started over at a different address (family member) to give the ground time to rest at the old place. I started over with ALL of my birds from Ideal Poultry--a well known hatchery. I waited three months to start over and left them at the address for four months. The new address has never had chickens there.
I cleaned the old place: the coop and the dirt floor the best that I could with bleach and another spray. After four months, I took the birds back to the old place. Again, the state said that Mycoplasma does not live outside of the host for a matter of days and I have waited MONTHS now.
Everything was going good until this week. Two days ago, I was filling up water. A barred rock stuck her face in the water and got all wet. Yesterday, I walk out to feed them and she's very sick--both eyes swelled up and swollen shut. All the other birds are ok and nothing else is sick.
I am beyond sick at my stomach. I culled everything. I cleaned everything. I waited months to move them back to the old place just like the state told me to do. I started with all new birds from a well know hatchery. I have not gotten any birds from anywhere else--they are all from Ideal Poultry--and I had no birds before I ordered these. I have not been around anyone or anything with chickens. I know Ideal is not carrying any diseases. No poultry shows. No flea markets. Nothing online or from Craigslist or Facebook. 100% of these birds came from Ideal and were delivered to my house. Nothing. No one goes near my chickens. No one comes over that owns chickens. I am near tears because something is wrong with this chicken. It has not been tested yet but it looks very much like Mycoplasma or Coryza...both of which are cullable diseases. Someone please help cause this cannot be happening to me again especially when I was so careful and did everything right. I just don't know what to do to quit getting this disease.
A few years ago, I had chickens with respiratory symptoms. Several of the roosters and babies died. I took them to the state to get tested and they had MG and MS or Mycoplasma. I knew where I got it from because my friends chickens had the same disease and she had given me some chickens before I knew of the illness. We culled all of those birds. We waited maybe a year to start over.
These next set of birds came from the internet from an unknown person on Craigslist and Facebook. I intermingled them with other online birds. They were fine for months. One day, the roof failed and the water blew in on the birds. They got sick. I had them tested by the state again and they had Mycoplasma again--only it was MS this time and not MG. I culled them all.
I got rid of 100% of my chicks, chickens, all my eggs, EVERYTHING. Then, I cleaned and waited. The state lab told me to wait 90 days.
I started over at a different address (family member) to give the ground time to rest at the old place. I started over with ALL of my birds from Ideal Poultry--a well known hatchery. I waited three months to start over and left them at the address for four months. The new address has never had chickens there.
I cleaned the old place: the coop and the dirt floor the best that I could with bleach and another spray. After four months, I took the birds back to the old place. Again, the state said that Mycoplasma does not live outside of the host for a matter of days and I have waited MONTHS now.
Everything was going good until this week. Two days ago, I was filling up water. A barred rock stuck her face in the water and got all wet. Yesterday, I walk out to feed them and she's very sick--both eyes swelled up and swollen shut. All the other birds are ok and nothing else is sick.
I am beyond sick at my stomach. I culled everything. I cleaned everything. I waited months to move them back to the old place just like the state told me to do. I started with all new birds from a well know hatchery. I have not gotten any birds from anywhere else--they are all from Ideal Poultry--and I had no birds before I ordered these. I have not been around anyone or anything with chickens. I know Ideal is not carrying any diseases. No poultry shows. No flea markets. Nothing online or from Craigslist or Facebook. 100% of these birds came from Ideal and were delivered to my house. Nothing. No one goes near my chickens. No one comes over that owns chickens. I am near tears because something is wrong with this chicken. It has not been tested yet but it looks very much like Mycoplasma or Coryza...both of which are cullable diseases. Someone please help cause this cannot be happening to me again especially when I was so careful and did everything right. I just don't know what to do to quit getting this disease.
