MG...Safe to eat?

[X2Farm]

I'm sure this sounds like a ridiculous question, but I thought I'd ask, seeing I can't seem to find an answer myself.

Are fowl infected w/MG still safe to eat?

 

[Erica]

Hi X2Farm,

I don't think you'll get a definitive answer on this one. Technically speaking I would think if well cooked, all would be fine.

There are possibly some dangers during the processing though. I know of someone who was diagnosed with MG, though I wasn't aware it was zoonotic (able to be transmitted to people). On the other hand people autopsy these birds routinely. They probably wear gloves and masks of course.

It would be your choice, but I feel that not eating sick birds is generally a good policy. Degree of sickness probably forms part of the judgement, as a good many 'well' birds from an MG flock would still harbour the bacteria (though at much lower counts).

Tricky one,

Erica

 

[X2Farm]

Well, I appreciate the input Erica.

Was just hoping my whole flock wasn't gonna be a complete loss, but looks to be that way. Thanks

 

[Erica]

Oh dear, I didn't mean to come down too heavy on the 'nay' side... Just to clarify, I don't think mild MG infection is a danger; I think full blown gurgling sick unthifty birds are a possible (and probably slight) danger because they have such high loads of the germ. Is your whole flock fully sick, or just a few birds?

Simple precautions when processing should make all the difference between a small danger and practically no danger. The person I mentioned who apparently caught MG had a lower immunity due to other health issues.

But I'm no expert in this, so please listen to other views. Remember some birds will be in good health despite having MG, and should be safe to process.

good luck,
Erica

Edited typo.

 

[X2Farm]

Well, the ducks will be processed. The problem, is the only poultry I have on the ground has all been exposed to snotty gurgling birds. The whole flock (hatched from eggs from my own birds) was sick with IBV (which is a non carrier disease) in the late winter, but no MG (tested by the state lab) but this time, I hatched chicks from shipped eggs and those are the only ones showing signs, so I had them tested. The tests were MG positive. The affected ones are approx 14wks old, and have been running with the big flock for the last month. Won't be long before everyone else starts showing symptoms, especially with this crappy weather (hot, cold, freeze, hot n wet...) Not to mention we live between tons of commercialbroiler farms.

I had already figured they wouldn't be completely safe to eat, was just really looking for confirmation. Besides.. I just don't have the facilities to process 50+ birds all at once.

Unfortunately, I'm really begining to despise raising poultry.

 

[Tracydr]

What is MG?

 

[X2Farm]

Quote:
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum

Here is the link to the Merck Veterinary manual about MG
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/203402.htm

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Yes, they will be safe to eat.

 

[X2Farm]

Appreciate the input Brunty.

Does the fact that MG is a bacterial issue mean anything, vs say, if the birds were just sick with a virus?

Yes I'm being paranoid about all this, I don't want to feed something to myself, DH or my kids that'll cause problems!!

Ugh... I'm really not looking forward to all this. Wonder how I'm gonna catch all the guineas

 

[Tracydr]

I don't believe it's any worse to eat them than it is to handle the live birds.
I did have a patient with mycoplasma avian complex, which is similar. He didn't have HIV or any other immune issue that was ever found and unfortunately died from his disease. But, that was a very rare disease. He probably had some sort of rare immune problem that was never found because of substandard state funded medical care. When I started seeing him he was terminal.