One eye is bubbly/draining (wet face feathers) pics inside -- Mycoplasmosis?

[thistlewick]

Just wondering if this is what it is -- it's only one eye. None of my other chickens have anything like this and this was only today. She is already quarantined. We did not mess around with that!

But I hear that if it is indeed Mycoplasmosis, everyone already has it anyway? Is it super common? Do I need to wait for symptoms from all of them or can I assume they all have it? They are not laying yet -- they are all 16/15/14 week old pullets.

I know there is no cure for this bacterial infection; just a reduction in symptoms.

Just wondering what experienced people can tell me about this and what I can do.

her infected eye

her healthy eye

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just wondering if this is what it is -- it's only one eye. None of my other chickens have anything like this and this was only today. She is already quarantined. We did not mess around with that!

But I hear that if it is indeed Mycoplasmosis, everyone already has it anyway? Is it super common? Do I need to wait for symptoms from all of them or can I assume they all have it? They are not laying yet -- they are all 16/15/14 week old pullets.

I know there is no cure for this bacterial infection; just a reduction in symptoms.

Just wondering what experienced people can tell me about this and what I can do.

View attachment 3935110

her infected eye
View attachment 3935111

her healthy eye

Could be MG or perhaps she's been pecked or gotten something in the eye.

Flush the eye with saline, remove debris/pus/bubbles, then apply an eye ointment like Terramycin in the eye. Do this at least 2X a day.

 

[thistlewick]

Could be MG or perhaps she's been pecked or gotten something in the eye.

Flush the eye with saline, remove debris/pus/bubbles, then apply an eye ointment like Terramycin in the eye. Do this at least 2X a day.

Just been reading around and realizing that Mycoplasmosis is basically like the common cold and is super duper common and nearly all flocks acquire it. So that's slightly a relief.

But still not sure if all the birds have it? Do I assume they do? Can I put her back with them when she's better? She's separated now, which I am sure she is just hating, she's way off and away from everyone.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just been reading around and realizing that Mycoplasmosis is basically like the common cold and is super duper common and nearly all flocks acquire it. So that's slightly a relief.

But still not sure if all the birds have it? Do I assume they do? Can I put her back with them when she's better? She's separated now, which I am sure she is just hating, she's way off and away from everyone.

She's been with the flock this whole time, if she has Mycoplasma, the whole flock has been exposed. If she's fit and not being picked on, put her back with the flock, but treat the eye.

Like I said, hard to know if this is MG or not. Treat the eye as suggested and see if she or the other show symptoms. If you wish, you can have testing done through Zoologix to see if you are dealing with MG.

Yes, while MG is fairly "common" it's a Disease, not a Cold. This disease can affect production, egg quality, is associated with inflammation of the Oviduct (Salpingitis), is transmitted to the embryo of hatching eggs, is transmitted from bird to bird and if you do have an MG+ flock it would be the practical and ethical thing to close the flock. No showing birds, no selling/giving away hatching eggs, chicks or chickens. So, no...not really a "cold".

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PS044

 

[thistlewick]

She's been with the flock this whole time, if she has Mycoplasma, the whole flock has been exposed. If she's fit and not being picked on, put her back with the flock, but treat the eye.

Like I said, hard to know if this is MG or not. Treat the eye as suggested and see if she or the other show symptoms. If you wish, you can have testing done through Zoologix to see if you are dealing with MG.

Yes, while MG is fairly "common" it's a Disease, not a Cold. This disease can affect production, egg quality, is associated with inflammation of the Oviduct (Salpingitis), is transmitted to the embryo of hatching eggs, is transmitted from bird to bird and if you do have an MG+ flock it would be the practical and ethical thing to close the flock. No showing birds, no selling/giving away hatching eggs, chicks or chickens. So, no...not really a "cold".

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PS044

Yeah sorry I didn't type all that out - all I meant by a cold is that is causes symptoms of rhinovirus most commonly, which is a cold. It also transmits about as easily as a cold. It was a shorthand.

Yep, aware of all of that - I was never going to do any of those things anyway, so that actually isn't that much of a change. What WILL change is no growing the flock via babies of these birds. Will just let this flock grow out its life naturally -- I'm assuming the eggs are still edible by humans.

We know precisely how we got this infection; about a month ago (about how long it takes for birds to show signs of infection) we had contractors working on our barn for a couple of weeks. A few of them kept chickens, as they were commenting on my flock and theirs, etc.

I have an opportunity to make a couple choices here;

We are getting a shed in that we're going to convert to a coop out in the pasture this week or next (not sure when delivery is precisely) and I have some choices;

I can (1) move this flock in and just have a flock of birds with this disease and treat them Denaguard for their lives and just deal. Or (2) get rid of this flock and start all over from scratch. This is my FIRST flock and while I am attached to these birds I am not young, nor am I starry-eyed about how animal husbandry works.

Will discuss with my husband today -- I know for a fact he won't want to cull the entire flock, he's a softie <3

 

[thistlewick]

okay update!

I called my county extension, who put me with our local poultry lab -- who only tests dead birds BUT I took down their information just in case we ever need to do a necropsy for anything - that's valuable info to have.

The lady at the lab then gave me the details of a local vet who does house calls for testing, and I spoke to him - he alleviated a lot of my worries here...

He used to test backyard chickens but only does commercial jobs now; the university he works for stopped the backyard tests as 95% of backyards are positive for mycoplasma and it just isn't cost effective anymore for them to spend the money on the gas BUT he said that it was not a big deal at all for my chickens to be infected; *most chickens are* and show zero signs of any symptoms. He said you CAN treat with antibiotics but it was not necessary for the asymptomatic birds. He also said it wasn't necessary for the symptomatic birds - he said to quarantine for 45 days any sick bird and they can rejoin the flock if they survive the 45 day quarantine. Sounds perfectly practical to me.

So what we have learned from this;

This is something nearly all chickens get. In fact it used to be so prevalent that it used to be merely called "chicken stress disease" because the symptoms tend to only come out when stressed.

We think it was introduced by the contractors who worked on our barn within 10 feet of the chicken coops who also keep chickens. That, or they were born with it from Tractor Supply. Who knows.

In any event, we're not culling anyone. We will keep a closed flock and just.. see how it goes. We have loads of acreage, we can always retire this flock out to the back pasture and re-start with a brand new flock in a few years.

So here's to learning!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for the update, hope all goes well!