gmjarvi
Songster
Hey all,
I have been suspecting that my flock is mycoplasma positive and have been kind of hemming and hawing about what to do since at this point we are only utilizing the flock for eating eggs.
Here's some background information: I started my flock a year ago with some adult birds from a local chicken lady, not suspecting to totally get bit by the poultry bug. I just wanted some egg laying hens (famous last words, right?). When I went to pick out the hens, I noticed some sneezing but didn't think anything of it (animals sneeze sometimes, yeah?). Fast forward a few weeks and some of the birds were snotty and had some rattling in their chest, but everybody was laying as well as one could expect a flock to lay in November in upper Michigan. Everybody recovered and not knowing any better, I chalked it up to a "cold." Nobody died.
Then I got bit by the poultry bug, and began introducing more birds, all from NPIP breeders or hatcheries (although my understanding is that an MG free hatchery is very rare?). They would always start out fine, then get a respiratory illness, and then recover. Nobody in my flock has ever died from illness.
The weather has turned to cold and snow again, and I am noticing an uptick of respiratory illness symptoms. More sneezing, some birds have excess mucus, a couple have some bubbles in their eyes, and my favorite rooster (hatched on my property from NPIP breeder egg) has been shaking his head in a way I've never seen him do before. Because new birds tend to get sick after being introduced to my flock, and symptoms tend to flare up when the weather shifts (leading to stress, I'm sure), I am thinking some sort of CRD is the culprit.
I do want to send out some samples to the extension lab in my state, just to confirm or deny my suspicion, but after that I am really at a loss for what to do. Our long term goals include 4H for my son, and a couple of other small breeding programs. NPIP is something I am interested in way down the line, and I dont believe my state worries about mycoplasma for certification.
My egg layers free range, which is not something I am willing to give up other than in the case of breeding pens. My understanding is that it is virtually impossible to keep a free range flock free of mycoplasma. Does anybody do 4H (or shows) or breed their birds and also free range? Is your flock mycoplasma free? What are your biosecurity measures? Realistically, is it even possible to have biosecurity measures for a free range flock?
I'm also not willing to treat with antibiotics; I would rather just cull. I'm wondering if I can slowly phase out this flock by closing it and culling symptomatic birds whenever I notice them. Then once I'm out of birds, I would clean and sanitize the coops and wait a month before starting fresh. This would also allow me to refocus on the breeds that I've come to love and would like to breed in the future.
One of my concerns is that my nieces, who have their own flock, love my chickens and always want to play with them when they come over. They like to call themselves my "chicken apprentices" haha. I would be so sad to have to tell them they aren't allowed to interact with my birds anymore if I do get to a point where we're mycoplasma free. Would it be enough for them to have their own clothes and barn shoes here, and to wash their hands before and after handling birds? I've read that humans can carry MG in their noses?!
How realistic is it to keep a flock mycoplasma free? I have read numerous threads and websites about these diseases and there seem to be two camps. Either it is abhorrent and immoral to have an open flock with mycoplasma, or virtually all flocks have mycoplasma and there's nothing you can do about it, especially if you free range or participate in shows/fairs or buy your feed from the store.
Hopefully some of you can lend me some insight, advice, experience, etc! Thanks!
I have been suspecting that my flock is mycoplasma positive and have been kind of hemming and hawing about what to do since at this point we are only utilizing the flock for eating eggs.
Here's some background information: I started my flock a year ago with some adult birds from a local chicken lady, not suspecting to totally get bit by the poultry bug. I just wanted some egg laying hens (famous last words, right?). When I went to pick out the hens, I noticed some sneezing but didn't think anything of it (animals sneeze sometimes, yeah?). Fast forward a few weeks and some of the birds were snotty and had some rattling in their chest, but everybody was laying as well as one could expect a flock to lay in November in upper Michigan. Everybody recovered and not knowing any better, I chalked it up to a "cold." Nobody died.
Then I got bit by the poultry bug, and began introducing more birds, all from NPIP breeders or hatcheries (although my understanding is that an MG free hatchery is very rare?). They would always start out fine, then get a respiratory illness, and then recover. Nobody in my flock has ever died from illness.
The weather has turned to cold and snow again, and I am noticing an uptick of respiratory illness symptoms. More sneezing, some birds have excess mucus, a couple have some bubbles in their eyes, and my favorite rooster (hatched on my property from NPIP breeder egg) has been shaking his head in a way I've never seen him do before. Because new birds tend to get sick after being introduced to my flock, and symptoms tend to flare up when the weather shifts (leading to stress, I'm sure), I am thinking some sort of CRD is the culprit.
I do want to send out some samples to the extension lab in my state, just to confirm or deny my suspicion, but after that I am really at a loss for what to do. Our long term goals include 4H for my son, and a couple of other small breeding programs. NPIP is something I am interested in way down the line, and I dont believe my state worries about mycoplasma for certification.
My egg layers free range, which is not something I am willing to give up other than in the case of breeding pens. My understanding is that it is virtually impossible to keep a free range flock free of mycoplasma. Does anybody do 4H (or shows) or breed their birds and also free range? Is your flock mycoplasma free? What are your biosecurity measures? Realistically, is it even possible to have biosecurity measures for a free range flock?
I'm also not willing to treat with antibiotics; I would rather just cull. I'm wondering if I can slowly phase out this flock by closing it and culling symptomatic birds whenever I notice them. Then once I'm out of birds, I would clean and sanitize the coops and wait a month before starting fresh. This would also allow me to refocus on the breeds that I've come to love and would like to breed in the future.
One of my concerns is that my nieces, who have their own flock, love my chickens and always want to play with them when they come over. They like to call themselves my "chicken apprentices" haha. I would be so sad to have to tell them they aren't allowed to interact with my birds anymore if I do get to a point where we're mycoplasma free. Would it be enough for them to have their own clothes and barn shoes here, and to wash their hands before and after handling birds? I've read that humans can carry MG in their noses?!
How realistic is it to keep a flock mycoplasma free? I have read numerous threads and websites about these diseases and there seem to be two camps. Either it is abhorrent and immoral to have an open flock with mycoplasma, or virtually all flocks have mycoplasma and there's nothing you can do about it, especially if you free range or participate in shows/fairs or buy your feed from the store.
Hopefully some of you can lend me some insight, advice, experience, etc! Thanks!
