Michigan

[Wickischickies]

Is MG possibly left in the ground? I have heard some bad stuff can be left in the ground dormant for years?

That's why I called MSU and talked to the Chicken expert there. I wanted to know how long I needed to wait before starting over. He said that two weeks is a great waiting period. MG can live outside of a chicken for only three days. I told him I had eggs in the bator, some of my own eggs and some from another flock. I had already thrown out my own eggs but asked if the other eggs are now infected. He said that since I have never hatched in this bator that the eggs from the other flock are okay. He gave me a lot of advice and gave me hope!

He told me the eggs I have now and on order could have MG. To make sure I lessen the chances (if that is what I had) of getting it again he gave me lots of steps to follow. So now I have a plan, eggs on the way, and I'm more informed on the disease itself and how to test for it. I feel good about starting over. My only fear is that the eggs I have coming could have this too. He did set me up with a plan on how to handle the new chicks and when to test them. Any new arrivals and all batches after this batch hatches will be tested before any contact to my flock is made. He also told me a safer method of new chick confinement/introduction to prevent losing my whole flock to MG.

Once I get started again with (praying for) a clean flock, I will have my flock tested not only for NPIP pullorum but also for MG each spring before hatching season! I think the cost of testing is worth knowing that I'm not helping to spread this disease!

 

[Farmerboy16]

Quote: Is MG possibly left in the ground? I have heard some bad stuff can be left in the ground dormant for years?

MG can only survive outside the host for only 3 days, as they have no cell walls, are very fragile, and are very easily killed by Sunshine, heat, disinfects, freezing temps. Its in the host that can't be rid of. Wickischickies- I am not sure that my second flock was clean to begin with. Although I was more careful that time around. BTW, where are you located? Chicken Grandma- The reason that I am hatching chicks while I still have infected flock is to see if the chicks comes out clean. I am incubating the eggs in the basement closet, and will raise them there until I get the test results. If they do came out clean, then I will save as many eggs as I could from my infected flock, and cull them all BEFORE dipping the eggs in the antibiotic solution before incubating them.

 

[un-named543]

That's why I called MSU and talked to the Chicken expert there. I wanted to know how long I needed to wait before starting over. He said that two weeks is a great waiting period. MG can live outside of a chicken for only three days. I told him I had eggs in the bator, some of my own eggs and some from another flock. I had already thrown out my own eggs but asked if the other eggs are now infected. He said that since I have never hatched in this bator that the eggs from the other flock are okay. He gave me a lot of advice and gave me hope!

He told me the eggs I have now and on order could have MG. To make sure I lessen the chances (if that is what I had) of getting it again he gave me lots of steps to follow. So now I have a plan, eggs on the way, and I'm more informed on the disease itself and how to test for it. I feel good about starting over. My only fear is that the eggs I have coming could have this too. He did set me up with a plan on how to handle the new chicks and when to test them. Any new arrivals and all batches after this batch hatches will be tested before any contact to my flock is made. He also told me a safer method of new chick confinement/introduction to prevent losing my whole flock to MG.

Once I get started again with (praying for) a clean flock, I will have my flock tested not only for NPIP pullorum but also for MG each spring before hatching season! I think the cost of testing is worth knowing that I'm not helping to spread this disease!

I'm sorry you are going through this. Perhaps you can help others by posting more detailed information on MG protection in the illness/disease section?

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

I hope everyone who celebrates has a Happy Easter and if you don't celebrate then I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

If you haven't voted then please go vote on the egg art contest here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/647525/egg-art-contest-vote-for-the-winner

Good luck to those that are hatching! I had one pip this morning.

Daron, I am wishing you the best of luck

I'm in Attica, Mi too. Actually Arcadia, b ut Attica mailing.

Welcome!

Well I had a fun morning with a friend who brought her friend and three grandchildren to see the chickens. She said they were so excited to come and had been talking about seeing the chickens all week. I got out early and cleaned the coop but left the eggs in the nest boxes so the kids could "find" them. Zoe reached in and picked up an egg and her eyes got as round as saucers. "It's still warm!!" she said.

That's wonderful!

HI everyone! It's been a while since I've been on, but I had some free time while the baby is sleeping (the one I was pregnant with at Chickenstock) and wanted to say HI to everyone. I'm going to try and read back a little to see what I've missed.

Welcome back!

That's why I called MSU and talked to the Chicken expert there. I wanted to know how long I needed to wait before starting over. He said that two weeks is a great waiting period. MG can live outside of a chicken for only three days. I told him I had eggs in the bator, some of my own eggs and some from another flock. I had already thrown out my own eggs but asked if the other eggs are now infected. He said that since I have never hatched in this bator that the eggs from the other flock are okay. He gave me a lot of advice and gave me hope!

He told me the eggs I have now and on order could have MG. To make sure I lessen the chances (if that is what I had) of getting it again he gave me lots of steps to follow. So now I have a plan, eggs on the way, and I'm more informed on the disease itself and how to test for it. I feel good about starting over. My only fear is that the eggs I have coming could have this too. He did set me up with a plan on how to handle the new chicks and when to test them. Any new arrivals and all batches after this batch hatches will be tested before any contact to my flock is made. He also told me a safer method of new chick confinement/introduction to prevent losing my whole flock to MG.

Once I get started again with (praying for) a clean flock, I will have my flock tested not only for NPIP pullorum but also for MG each spring before hatching season! I think the cost of testing is worth knowing that I'm not helping to spread this disease!

Good luck! Do you mind sharing what steps you are following?

 

[Mom 2em All]

 

[Wickischickies]

What if there are only a small percentage of flocks that can be totally clean? I mean, if some birds carry illness, can flocks still exist where it is survival of the fittest, and are these birds safe to eat and use eggs from?
I know a couple of my birds had some bubbly eyes, but no other birds showed symptoms. I can't picture destroying my entire flock because 2 had symptoms that never progressed to full blown illness.
Surely more flocks have minor illness running through them than there are clean flocks?
Thoughts, folks?

http://www.bah.state.mn.us/diseases/mycoplasma/mycoplasma-testing.html
They were able to clean up their flocks, why can't we?

 

[Olive Hill]

http://www.bah.state.mn.us/diseases/mycoplasma/mycoplasma-testing.html
They were able to clean up their flocks, why can't we?

The short answer: Because it requires people to put logic and pragmatism ahead of emotion.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Quote:
The short answer: Because it requires people to put logic and pragmatism ahead of emotion.

X2! I was very attach to my first flock, esp my 9 year old hen that I raised from chick, I had to put her and my other favorites down in order to stop the disease from spreading. It was very sad for me to do, but it had to be done! Now I will have to do it again in a month.

 

[un-named543]

http://www.bah.state.mn.us/diseases/mycoplasma/mycoplasma-testing.html
They were able to clean up their flocks, why can't we?

I didn't know my state was doing this!

 

[chicken grandma]

MG can only survive outside the host for only 3 days, as they have no cell walls, are very fragile, and are very easily killed by Sunshine, heat, disinfects, freezing temps. Its in the host that can't be rid of.

Wickischickies- I am not sure that my second flock was clean to begin with. Although I was more careful that time around. BTW, where are you located?
Chicken Grandma- The reason that I am hatching chicks while I still have infected flock is to see if the chicks comes out clean. I am incubating the eggs in the basement closet, and will raise them there until I get the test results. If they do came out clean, then I will save as many eggs as I could from my infected flock, and cull them all BEFORE dipping the eggs in the antibiotic solution before incubating them.

Hi Daron, If you hatch 38 chicks you would have to do 38 swab tests to know that they are all free of MG. If one has MG it will be spread to the others within a week. So that is why it is recommended that you cull chickens who have MG and then wait two weeks, sterilize everything and then start over with eggs or chickens that are not from a flock that has MG.
I know you want to make this a business and sell these chickens to others so I know you really want to get rid of the MG on your farm. I think the cost of all these swab tests are going to be very expensive. If you do a swab test on a random few chicks in the brooder, that does not mean that another chick in there is not carrying it I think you may have to treat, test and retest for quite a while before you can ethically sell a chicken to someone as MG free. And that is just expensive.