MG--to treat or not

[zoomia]

First off, let me just say a HUGE thank you to those of you who have given generously of your time, wisdom and experience. I have spent quite a bit of time here doing research. etc., and the information has been EXTREMELY helpful. (And on a side note, I found this site --also very helpful, and with pics for diseases.)

So in my excitement about having chickens, I completely ignored the whole quarantine thing. Lesson learned the hard way. Argh. I have MG in my flock. Nothing else (at least on the one bird I had tested). Some birds are showing the classic symptoms; some are not. I have had them on duramycin for about a week and a half. Two are now symptom-free; three kind of teeter between clearing up and then getting congested and conjunctivis again.

I know that many here recommend Tylan 50 over duramycin, and I have it. But I am also kind of wondering what happens if you don't treat? I have learned how common MG is, and obviously, my flock is closed now. At the same time, I'm not really a fan of nursing the sick birds along forever--kind of a survival of the fittest, as it were. I would love to hear any experiences on this. I assume that I may have to cull those that continue to worsen, but do some of it just get over it and bounce back?

Thanks so much!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Birds with MG will remain carriers, and the MG can be passed through the eggs. Personally I would cull the birds. Good Luck.

 

[zoomia]

Thanks for the response. I know they remain carriers for life, but because I'm not breeding and because this is apparently endemic, I'm not culling if I don't have to.

After my favorite hen started getting conjunctivitis I treated with tylan 50.

Sigh.

Anyway, I found this study, which some might find interesting. It shows concentrations of Tylan (the powder for water) in egg yolks and egg whites. You can see that at seven days, there's no trace in either.

ftp://ftp.fao.org/ag/agn/food/tylosin_2006.pdf

This is of course, oral administration. I don't know if injections would be different. And of course I'm not a doctor, vet, or in any way giving medical advice.

 

[nnbreeder]

Use LS-50 at the rate of one teaspoon per gallon of water for seven days and withhold eating eggs for a full 30 days.

This drug is used for the prevention and treatment of MG in chickens.

Even after treatment it may come back in some birds, if it does I would cull them.

Be very careful when visiting other people with birds or even fairs or poultry shows as you could spread it to other flocks without really knowing it.