Possible Mycoplasma-Best Recommendation

[Kiki]

It's not a vet's job to make a big deal out of which illness the animal in front of them have.
It is a huge deal for you to know what disease you're dealing with... It makes no sense why they would hand out antibiotics without even testing.

 

[Kiki]

Also it's very very strange for them to tell you to separate one bird when they've all already be exposed which makes me think the person that you dealt with doesn't quite know what they're talking about.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Good avian vets are as rare as hen's teeth and any with poultry experience are almost non-existent.
There are probably one third or less of the veterinary colleges with a poultry program today as there were in the 1950s. Almost all vets who work with poultry, work for big poultry producers exclusively.

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad that you were able to get vet care and meds. Be sure to close your flock, though—no birds in, no birds re-homed. MG can be common in some backyard flocks, and the symptoms you are seeing are much what vets see with it. Once the last birds are gone, after waiting a couple of weeks, you can have a healthy flock when you add new chicks from a hatchery. MG only remains alive in your coop and facilities for about 3 days, once all birds are gone.

 

[Myrshine]

Most— if not ALL avian parrot veterinarians don't know about poultry or their specific diseases, therefore, giving bad advice all around. They can also be a waste of money when it comes to poultry diseases and treatment. I've seen so many horror stories about parrot avian vets indirectly killing chickens because they are not the same as a parrot.

I suggest talking to your government extension veterinarian or if you're in the US, contact your State of Agriculture about getting testing done. While Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG) is common worldwide, I suggest keeping a closed flock to prevent the spread of the bacteria. Keeping a closed flock means no more bringing in any new birds, young or old to your infected flock as well as to never let any birds from your infected flock leave your coop and keeping them until they pass naturally. MG can be passed through eggs by an infected hen, therefore, making any chicks that hatch, already infected and carrying the bacteria as well. Antibiotics can help treat the symptoms, but it will NOT cure the disease. All birds that 'recover' will be asymptomatic carriers until another stressful situation occurs and causes symptoms to appear once again.

If you choose to depopulate, the bacteria that causes MG has no cell wall, meaning it is unable to survive without a host for 3 or 4 days. Direct sunlight and temperatures over 70°F can destroy the bacteria right away. Without direct sunlight, however, the MG bacteria can remain in the environment for weeks to months— even longer in colder temperatures. Chemicals such as Bleach, Lysol and Oxine easily destroy the bacteria and are very effective in sanitizing coops, perches, tools, etc.

I hope this helps!