MG in just hatched chicks...?

[Andora]

I hatched a chick from an egg another person gave me. The chick seems totally healthy, but being the paranoid flock owner I am, I'm still concerned about MG. (I know there are other diseases that can be carried through the egg, but MG is the most common...)

If the chick hatched with MG, how long will it take before any symptoms show up? The chick is isolated inside in the brooder, but in 4 or 5 weeks I'll add it in with my other chicks. Will it be obvious if the chick hatched with MG by that point? I'm not sure at all.

 

[PurpleChicken]

While MG can pass through to the chick it's got less than a 10% chance of doing so. The chick will almost definitely show signs in less than 30 days.

 

[Andora]

Thanks!

 

[threehorses]

6-10 day incubation period.

I'm glad to hear Purple's info about the 10% chances!

I was reading on this the other day - various ways with which they've experimented to try to reduce the likelihood of transovarian transmission. Some involved dipping with tylosin, etc - disinfection processes, etc. But most of those (if I recall correctly) effected the hatch rates of eggs.

So if you want to hedge your bets, I would just make sure that they have the very best food and clean water at hatch - fresh fresh fresh stuff. Boosting immune systems is always a good thing.

 

[PurpleChicken]

I cannot reference where I read the 10% but I remember it being a
trusted source. There is also a question of whether or not the bird
needs to be shedding the virus when laying.

 

[threehorses]

I read a poultry text that said that not all effected birds shed into the egg alike.

Some will shed often, others will shed rarely, some will not shed at all. Knowing which birds do which is important to figuring out which birds to use for breeding, apparently.

Makes sense to me! And gives hope, too.