MG and MS- How To Tell If Your Flock Has/Carries It?

[Pam's Little Farm]

I was wondering how I can tell if my flock is one of the 70-90% of flocks that carry MG and/or MS. I assume most people don't know? I don't want to have my flock tested.

 

[Judy]

I suspect that that estimate is way high, and I don't think you can find out for sure without testing.

 

[rockinpaints]

I am curious how many people have had their flock tested for MG and/or MS. ???

If you are shipping to VA it is their law that your birds must be tested for MG 30 days prior to shipping, SD is 14 days......., that being said I wonder if those 2 states are MG free??

I have read that unless you keep your birds inside a wild bird proof enclosure and practice strict biosecurity that you are not MG free (just symptom free). I will try to find the link to that information. I believe it was the state veterinarian in Ma but am not for sure. I'll post it if I can find it again.

 

[speckledhen]

I will never buy those high percentages as an overall number for the country. Could be some regions are higher than others, but the entire US? No way, IMO.

In the entire five-and-a-half years that I have had chickens, there has been no respiratory illness in my flock. Doesn't mean there never will be, sure, but I do not buy started birds from anyone, not even chicks unless they come directly from a hatchery shipment or are hatched here from eggs from very reputable long time breeders whose culling practices I'm familiar with. Everyone who comes here must disinfect their shoes before stepping into the "chicken zone". It's not perfect, but I feel goes a long way toward preventing an outbreak. Other than wild birds, which I feel are not the main source of contamination anyway, nothing is going to have an easy time getting into my flock.

The only way you can know is to have your birds tested. That's really it. Practice the best biosecurity you reasonably can, err on the side of caution every time, and you go a long way toward preventing the transmission of disease.

 

[EquestrianGal]

showing my ignorance here. What are MG and MS?

I have had chickens for 2 years now, and luckily no respiratory illnesses (really, only one illness and that was last week and seems to have been limited to 1 guinea, who sadly died).

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Here's a link to chicken diseases. Scroll down and you'll find MG and MS:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044