MG Certified hatcheries/breeders?

[speckledhen]

Agree with Aubrey about the Tylan dip--if it can't cure it anyway, how is it going to do anything for the disease passed in an egg? Even worse than a cold, it makes the birds carriers, unlike the common cold in humans. When I don't have a cold, I'm not contagious. They can be asymptomtic and still infect other birds.

I don't buy the 95% number of backyard flocks having it, though, I just don't. Maybe that is the case in certain locales, sure, but birds I've sold went into NPIP flocks and went into their program, tested every four months and tested negative for MG/MS so, at least during that period of time (and even now, as far as I know) my flock was MG-free. That's the problem with MG, though. They may be negative on test day, but exposed and infected the next week, so you can only say that at last test, they were clean. And you do all you can in your power to mitigate the risk of infection. You don't throw up your hands and say it's impossible, as RhodeRunner said, just because it's so common. You do all you can do to prevent it and have a plan in place in case it ever becomes a nasty reality.

 

[kathyinmo]

Did you ever see this video where Frank Reese told of how he dealt with MG?
Egg dipping was part of the process.

 

[speckledhen]

He dipped with Tektrol, though, not Tylan, Kathy, plus heated the eggs during dipping somehow. (Plus, he killed all live birds and scorched the ground, which should tell backyard folks something about MG)

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Yes, he used Tektrol. I was referring to this comment:

Quote:
It was years ago that Reese dealt with it. I am guessing that if it was today, they would use Denegard instead.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

The USDA will tell you to distroy them. Still dont see a cure for the eggs personally, the resulting chicks will remain infected

 

[speckledhen]

I can see how Tektrol or Oxine could kill a bacteria on the outside of an egg, but not the inside. Of course, not all chicks are infected from MG-positive flocks anyway, not sure of the percentage or if the birds have to actively be symptomatic, etc.

Denagard doesn't cure MG, either, though. It only helps symptoms. It doesn't keep them from being carriers if they are infected, as I understand it.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Same Here Cynthia,
That's been my major concern with this. As we know, an egg fully develops inside the hen, starts as a dot , then yolk etc etc til a full egg if formed. If this hen is infected ALL parts of the egg both inside and out will be infected with MG, not just the bloom and shell. Therefore, there is no possible way to disinfect an egg internally without also destroying the germ.
Also, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO RISK IT... You just had to put down a large portion if not all your flock due to it, now you want to attempt to hatch eggs from them that were left?
No, not all will be infected, but if they were from a full blown infected hen or a carrier, yes they are. Recently infected birds may pass a few uninfected eggs. I find any attempt to disinfect an egg carrying MG to be highly unlikely and do not recommend anyone try to do so. Just toss them and fully disinfect your property. Let it sit for 6 months, then start over.

Sounds rash I know, but if you truly want to get rid of the problem, that's the only safe route to go. Even if you did destroy all birds infected and all their eggs, MG is in the dirt, dust, and bedding all over the poultry area. If you jump right back into it with no down time and heavy disinfecting, chances are you will just end up with the new bird catching it and having to start all over.

I truly hope none of you have to deal with this, but it is out there and is a major problem in the poultry industry. If you encounter it, please be responsible about it, dont take the birds to an auction or try to pass them on to someone else. Sound horrid, but people do it to try to re coop some of their money instead of dealing with it. I hope this never happens to any of you, but do know, it is highly contagious, travels not only within a single pen of birds, but is also airborne in the dust and dander so neighboring birds can also get it even if they are a good ways off... If birds are tested possitive for MG, they and all their eggs do need to be destroyed and burned to prevent further spread

 

[cmfarm]

From what I understood when reading about the egg dipping is it is the heat that kills in on the inside (you have to heat the eggs to a certain temp.). I think the antibiotic dip is more of a backup. I will have to read up on this again to confirm.

 

[X2Farm]

Wow, my computer crashes and yall took off!

I'm glad to see continued dialog on this. I'm still puttrring around with the 6 birds that have been on quarantine since before the infection took place.

I'm still very up in the air with how to continue things. These poor birds haven't been able to do anything but stay in the coop since they got here. I'll be having a tech from the lab come out and test then after the New Year. Praying they come back clean.

So I have a few trusted sources for eggs, not sure when I'll hatch again. Probably after feb when the threat of snow is gone.

So my best course from here on, would be to just cull symptomatic birds ? I mean, it sounds like a no brainer, I know the answer is yes. But would it even be worth having any illness culls brought to the lab for testing, so at least I know what the problem was?

Sheesh, cows are so much easier!!!

Oh, and I did talk to the vet about how long MG lives in the soil, and he said outside the host it lives 3-5 days on anything from feathers to human nose hair, and that they recommend 30 days rest, at minimum for ground area infected birds were on. Just passin that along.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yes, you need to cull them if they show signs and are tested possitive for MG.

No, later on, you dont need to just whack anything that looks sick, Test first... If you use one of our GPLN labs, it's usually free. At least they are currently on this end of the state. They are working on grant money so do not charge for the service. If you get any later on that are sick in any way, just take one or two to them again for a test before you do anything to be sure.