Mt Healthy/TSC ducklings and salmonella outbreak

[SignoraBel]

Hello all,

I bought 2 khaki campbells from TSC 4 weeks ago confirmed to come from Mt Healthy which is confirmed to be the source of the outbreak. They are our first and to date seem well and chatty...poop like crazy (loose at times, though I was told that was normal due to how much water they drink). they love swimming and seem to be healthy.

I am new to this and in 3 weeks I get my baby chicks (from elsewhere thank goodness)... so I want to do the right thing

Is this affecting ducks like it is affecting chickens?
Do I have to cull?
Can I test without killing and if so, anyone knows a good place in PA?

Is hard to imagine culling a flock that shows no signs of being ill... we don't even know how we would go about it...like I said... we only have had ours for 4 weeks. I would appreciate specifics and counsel from anyone with experience in this or that also bought TSC ducks from Mt healthy recently. Ty so much.

I have read a lot and ppl go as far as "cull" but I don't even know how to start to make that choice, if testing can confirm, how to dispose....ty for any help

 

[Amiga]

I would think a fecal sample could be tested.

I would not be so quick to kill the ducklings. Seems in this day and age, that there could be testing and if there is an infection it could be treated.

 

[Going Quackers]

I would think a fecal sample could be tested.

I would not be so quick to kill the ducklings. Seems in this day and age, that there could be testing and if there is an infection it could be treated.

I would agree.

 

[Prinette]

My khakis came from Tsc 4 weeks ago as well. Would a vet do a stool sample?

 

[Prinette]

I just called our avian vet and they said stool samples couldn't be tested for salmonella. They told me they would have to take a culture and send it off to a college to be tested and that would run you around $150.

 

[Amiga]

Oh, good grief!

 

[SignoraBel]

My vet is doing a stool sample for $49... I just wish we were all getting consistent info.../sigh One does not know what to think

 

[Speceider]

Consistent info? That makes me laugh. The best approach is to stick to info that you know the biases, like the CDC. Reading opinions on the web that are presented as fact will certainly confuse you.

For example, I was very involved in the HPAI H5N1 exercise. It got to where I could tell the source of the information in the first couple sentences from the information given, and the info omitted.

Clint