Ideal MG discussion

[Uppity Peon]

Quote:
But how DO you practice MG biosecurity for your backyard flock? You can't keep wild birds out. If you want pasture fed chickens you have to take that chance.

 

[WalkingWolf]

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But how DO you practice MG biosecurity for your backyard flock? You can't keep wild birds out. If you want pasture fed chickens you have to take that chance.

Eggzactly

 

[PurpleChicken]

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But how DO you practice MG biosecurity for your backyard flock? You can't keep wild birds out. If you want pasture fed chickens you have to take that chance.

Nothing in life is 100%. You can't do much to prevent wild birds from infecting your flock BUT you can do many things to prevent infection from other flocks.

My birds ranged 20 hours a week for 2 years and only got infected when I brought in an outside silkie.

 

[Andora]

How effective is vaccinating against MG?

A BYC friend told me she has the vaccines, so I'm going to vaccinate my flock for MG and Coryza next week. Of course despite that I will still practice the same biosecurity.

Also, I just had a hen swabbed and tested and she did not have MG or any other disease!

 

[PurpleChicken]

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Great!

Who did the testing for you?

 

[mountaintopchicken]

A BYC friend told me she has the vaccines, so I'm going to vaccinate my flock for MG and Coryza next week.

It is my understanding that the Mycoplasma vaccine only keeps the symptoms of Mycoplasma from showing themselves as much, it does not prevent them from getting the disease or from becoming carriers of the disease.

Edited to add: here's a good page of info from the University of Florida
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS034

A quote says,
"M. gallisepticum vaccination has been shown to reduce shed level and duration. Thus, if efforts are being made to eradicate MG on a commercial layer or breeder farm or reduce potential spread to neighboring non-infected farms, vaccination is suggested.

Affected broiler breeder flocks should be vaccinated prior to onset of infection and broilers managed and treated to reduce adverse of affects of MG."


So if your birds are infected, the vaccine might reduce shedding, but it it wouldn't eliminated it.​

 

[verlaj]

Here's a link to an article about M. gallisepticum written by a poultry veterinarian at University of Florida. Original written in 2002, but it says at the bottom it was reviewed April, 2009, so the information is current.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS034

 

[astylishgirl]

I wish that I hadn't started this post. I don't want to cast a bad light on a good hatchery. It just scared me when I heard that because I remember what happened to Purple Chicken and I had JUST that day gotten chicks from there.

I feel like I have spread a bad rumor that has just taken off.

 

[PurpleChicken]

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I'm grateful you did start it. I saw your name and came in. This thread has given us the opportunity to discuss it in an intelligent fashion.

Ideal will be fine.

 

[Andora]

Quote:
Great!

Who did the testing for you?

The University of Kentucky is in my town, and they have a livestock diagnostic lab. It's only $10 for a bird to have a swab test or a necropsy! The doctors are disease experts. We have a multimillion dollar horse industry here, so I think that's a big part of the diagnostic place.

I had the hen tested because she had horrible chest congestion, I was freaking out! But it turned out that she had some form of pneumonia and the doctor said it could be attributed to a weak bird and not a flock issue.