My experience dealing with MG (Mycoplasma gallispectum)

[kingmt]

I fell bad for you. If I wasn't so afraid of bring it back to my flock I would like to help. I'm also not sure how far you are away.

Thank you for your post though. It has helped me make a decision that I have been struggling with. I have a hen that was given to me. She has been in quarantine for 3 weeks & on antibiotics. She looks healthy but I have been afraid to put her with my other birds. I hate to cull her & nothing be wrong with her but I'm not going to be taking the chance.

 

[speckledhen]

kingmt mentioned a point I'd like to touch on. Yes, quarantine is not enough to be positive a bird is infected, but what you should never do while a bird is in quarantine is to give antibiotics! That may mask symptoms, making quarantine completely meaningless. You want disease to show itself if it resides in the bird's body. That is the only way you'd know it had something. So, at the very least, quarantine, but know that it is not a perfect solution, as we've seen here thanks to Southernbelle's sad situation. That is why I never buy birds from anyone, ever, no matter who it is.

 

[GracefulBantams]

I finally remembered what I wanted to say! (yay, me

)

The best way, that I have learned, to quarantine birds is by this procedure:
1. Put the new addition into a pen as far away from your flock as possible
2. Watch it closely for any signs of diseases
3. If it appears healthy after 2 full weeks, go to the next step
4. Choose a stable bird from your own flock and put in the pen with the new addition
5. Watch your bird and the addition for any sings of diseases
6. If they appear healthy after another 2 full weeks, go to the next step
7. Now it should be as safe as it's ever going to be to put all the bird in your existing flock

 

[GracefulBantams]

If that didn't make sense, just ask

 

[hujabuga]

SO SAD!!! i fell your pain

 

[MoodyChicken]

Southernbelle, I have a speck good news for you. I was just talking to my friend who's raised poultry for ages. He says the MG bacteria are very fragile and can be destroyed with little effort. So you can rest easy knowing you'll get the problem under control very quickly.

Also, I'm going to breed my SDW hen to my BBR roo (breaking up the sexlinked cross tonight). That will produce mostly GDW offspring in both sexes. If you'd prefer the sexlinked babies I can and will set that up for you after I get a few eggs of the SDW x BBR pairing.

 

[HeatherLynn]

I'm not sure if you have found anyone to take care of the culling for you or if you have had to do it yourself but I had a suggestion.

If there is a university near you that maybe has a veterinary medicine program this would be a good chance for them to learn something and help out. I know someone who's mom is a wildlife rehaber and she has gotten some various volunteer help that way. Might be worth while and might provide you with a bit higher quality help dealing with it. Just a thought.

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
That is EXCELLENT advice, Grace! I thats a great way to make sure you're not bringing a carrier into the flock! Sacrifice one bird rather than all of them. I'm still going to stick to no started birds coming in, but that's great advice.

 

[andrea98]

im sorry if this sounds dumb ( new here ) so is this kinda like AIDS in humans as far as spreading it & always keeping it & passing it on 2 babies??? also trying to just make sure i understand this

 

[Chickenmaven]

Quote:
That sounds very smart!