If my chickens have MG

[FLGatorsDucky]

As a follow up from yesterdays post, another of my chickens is now gurgling and another is sneezing. I have decided not to treat them but I am not comfortable with culling them either.

If my chickens do have MG and I decide to let nature take its course, what can I expect? If they are all going to die, how long might they have?

 

[dawg53]

Here's a link for you to read concerning MG.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps034

 

[FLGatorsDucky]

Thank you, I read that.

I am still really confused, other than an occasional cough/sneeze and the gurgling of now 2 hens (although the 1st hen is a bit better) there are no other signs. I picked all of the chickens up and checked them over head to toe. The only external observation was my 1 gurgling hen's face has lost some feathers. Nobody has any nasal or eye discharge, all of their eyes are clear and bright, waddles and combs are normal colored. They are all eating, drinking and pooping fine. I can't find any illness that only has gurgling and occasional coughing/sneezing as the only signs. I checked a few of my birds for gapeworms and came up with nothing but I wormed them anyway just in case.

 

[leadwolf1]

Is there no treatment for MG? I can understand a decision to cull but, I can't understand allowing an animal to suffer if there is treatment available.

 

[dawg53]

Is there no treatment for MG? I can understand a decision to cull but, I can't understand allowing an animal to suffer if there is treatment available.

There are treatments for MG, but no cures. Once given a round of antibiotics for treatment, then eventually when a chicken gets stressed for whatever reason (let me count the ways) ...the symptoms will show themselves again requiring a more powerful antibiotic to treat the disease. The disease will have most likely built resistance over time to the previous medication causing it to be ineffective. Eventually, even the most powerful antibiotics available to poultry will be ineffective. An exception would be denagard, which requires an initial treatment dose, then a monthly preventative dose for life. However bloodwork or a necropsy would need to be done to confirm it's truly a mycoplasma disease and not some other respiratory disease in which the denagard would be ineffective.

 

[dawg53]

Thank you, I read that.

I am still really confused, other than an occasional cough/sneeze and the gurgling of now 2 hens (although the 1st hen is a bit better) there are no other signs. I picked all of the chickens up and checked them over head to toe. The only external observation was my 1 gurgling hen's face has lost some feathers. Nobody has any nasal or eye discharge, all of their eyes are clear and bright, waddles and combs are normal colored. They are all eating, drinking and pooping fine. I can't find any illness that only has gurgling and occasional coughing/sneezing as the only signs. I checked a few of my birds for gapeworms and came up with nothing but I wormed them anyway just in case.

There have been cases of capillary worms in the crop causing these symptoms without the typical nasal discharge, bubbly eyes, swollen face etc...that are normally associated with a respiratory disease. Wazine doesnt kill capillary worms. Perhaps you should purchase safeguard liquid goat wormer, doesnt cost much. Jefferslivestock.com carries it, you can call to order it if your feed store doesnt carry it. Jeffers is out of Dothan, Alabama and they ship quick. You should get it in a day or two since you live in Florida. Administer orally undiluted to each chicken. Dosage is 1/2cc once every third day within 10 days. There's a 14 day egg withdrawal period after the last day of dosing.

 

[leadwolf1]

Thanks Dawg. I understand all of this. What I can't get my brain around is allowing them to suffer through till death. To me, it's either treat or cull...not allow to suffer. If bloodwork can confirm, that would be the way that I would go...or, as you say, euthanize one and have it necropsied. It may be something altogether different.

There are treatments for MG, but no cures. Once given a round of antibiotics for treatment, then eventually when a chicken gets stressed for whatever reason (let me count the ways) ...the symptoms will show themselves again requiring a more powerful antibiotic to treat the disease. The disease will have most likely built resistance over time to the previous medication causing it to be ineffective. Eventually, even the most powerful antibiotics available to poultry will be ineffective. An exception would be denagard, which requires an initial treatment dose, then a monthly preventative dose for life. However bloodwork or a necropsy would need to be done to confirm it's truly a mycoplasma disease and not some other respiratory disease in which the denagard would be ineffective.

 

[dawg53]

Thanks Dawg. I understand all of this. What I can't get my brain around is allowing them to suffer through till death. To me, it's either treat or cull...not allow to suffer. If bloodwork can confirm, that would be the way that I would go...or, as you say, euthanize one and have it necropsied. It may be something altogether different.

I agree with you Leadwolf. Most people would rather treat than cull. It's human compassion that drives them to save their birds, it's the human thing to do. Unfortunately respiratory diseases are never cured. If the owner has the time and money to spend being a nursemaid to a flock of sick chickens, all we can do is offer suggestions regarding treatments. Eventually they'll learn what a tough and ongoing ordeal it'll be and they will learn from that experience the hard way. I always wish them the best.

 

[FLGatorsDucky]

We treated them all with safeguard, I do hope it's worms. Thanks for the suggestion of Jeffers, we get most of our meds there. We are actually in upstate NY but Jeffers shipping can't be beat.

As far as culling being more humane then letting them suffer I do agree but I can't bring myself to do it. I have a local guy who is happy to take free birds and turn them into a meal so I am keeping that in mind. I want to see more symptoms before I make any decisions about ending their lives. If one of the birds does die I will send if for testing. I have Tylan on hand but I don't want to treat something that will just keep coming back and if it's MG it will. We are taking the wait and see approach to see if the wormer helps or if they progressively get worse. If they get worse I will send them off to be humanely (as possible) culled.

 

[dawg53]

Here you go FlGatorsDucky...

Let us know if the worming helps.