Possible Mycoplasma in my flock

[wrenhen]

Im going to the vet tomorrow to get clarity on what is going on with my rooster. A couple people have mentioned it may be mycoplasma and it is making me very anxious.
Im wondering what the reality of that is.
Should I cull him if he has it? Should I cull my entire flock since they have had a lot of interaction with him? Will they be fine to stay alive but never able to move with me out of state when we do move? When I move is it best to cull them rather than infect anymore backyards?
Will I also have to cull/leave behind my ducks?

Can I still eat their eggs?

Has anyone experienced having it before?

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

The very first chickens I ever had, thirteen ISA Brown pullets I purchased at point of lay, came carrying Mycoplasma gallisepticum. (Also known as chronic respiratory disease.) I knew nothing about chicken diseases back then, and experienced months of frustration due to not understanding why my sweet pullets were sick. Finally I learned I could euthanize a symptomatic pullet and send a carcass off for necropsy. I did so, and that's how I learned they carried MG. Most never showed symptoms, but with a few their symptoms were fairly severe.

IF your rooster has Mycoplasma and other flock members have been exposed to him, you should assume they are all carriers even though many will never show symptoms. Their eggs are safe to eat, but it's not wise to hatch chicks from their eggs since MG/MS can be transmitted inside the eggs. Whether you cull your entire flock or decide to treat for symptoms and keep them is entirely up to you.
If you decide to keep them, a medication called Denagard can be added to their drinking water 3 days every month. Denagard (tiamulin) is very effective at keeping symptoms at bay. You will also need to medicate any future birds you bring into your flock. Tiamulin is not used in human medicine so there is no need for concern about antibiotic resistance. Please don't ever sell or give away a carrier bird if you decide to keep and treat. If you decide to cull, Mycoplasma only survives for a few days to a few weeks in the bedding/environment, depending on air temperature and sun exposure.

I chose to keep and treat my carrier pullets. However I did construct a separate coop and run for new feedstore chicks I purchased the following year. The coops/runs were far enough apart with an expanse of woods in between that there was never direct exposure between the flocks. I also kept separate shoes for each flock until the carrier ISA Browns eventually passed away.

Did you purchase any older birds to add to your flock? This seems to be the most common way a formerly disease-free flock becomes infected. Please report back re what your vet says tomorrow, and what you decide to do. Wishing you the best.

 

[wrenhen]

The very first chickens I ever had, thirteen ISA Brown pullets I purchased at point of lay, came carrying Mycoplasma gallisepticum. (Also known as chronic respiratory disease.) I knew nothing about chicken diseases back then, and experienced months of frustration due to not understanding why my sweet pullets were sick. Finally I learned I could euthanize a symptomatic pullet and send a carcass off for necropsy. I did so, and that's how I learned they carried MG. Most never showed symptoms, but with a few their symptoms were fairly severe.

IF your rooster has Mycoplasma and other flock members have been exposed to him, you should assume they are all carriers even though many will never show symptoms. Their eggs are safe to eat, but it's not wise to hatch chicks from their eggs since MG/MS can be transmitted inside the eggs. Whether you cull your entire flock or decide to treat for symptoms and keep them is entirely up to you.
If you decide to keep them, a medication called Denagard can be added to their drinking water 3 days every month. Denagard (tiamulin) is very effective at keeping symptoms at bay. You will also need to medicate any future birds you bring into your flock. Tiamulin is not used in human medicine so there is no need for concern about antibiotic resistance. Please don't ever sell or give away a carrier bird if you decide to keep and treat. If you decide to cull, Mycoplasma only survives for a few days to a few weeks in the bedding/environment, depending on air temperature and sun exposure.

I chose to keep and treat my carrier pullets. However I did construct a separate coop and run for new feedstore chicks I purchased the following year. The coops/runs were far enough apart with an expanse of woods in between that there was never direct exposure between the flocks. I also kept separate shoes for each flock until the carrier ISA Browns eventually passed away.

Did you purchase any older birds to add to your flock? This seems to be the most common way a formerly disease-free flock becomes infected. Please report back re what your vet says tomorrow, and what you decide to do. Wishing you the best.

Thank you for your reply, I did bring in my rooster from a different farm. I quarantined for 2 weeks with no issues and added him. I had no idea something like mycoplasma existed otherwise I wouldnt have brought in an adult chicken. I do wonder if my flock somehow had it before him though, as theyve always been sneezers. I didnt think anything of the sneezing since it was just that, sneezes. But it is probably from the rooster, since he is from another place.
I will update with what the vet says/any test results. Im hoping so badly its some other respiratory issue... but my hopes are low. We plan to move out of state at some point and I know if they have mycoplasma I will need to cull the entire flock instead of taking my favorites with me. Which would be heart breaking.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I feel your pain, because I likewise didn't know that chickens could carry so many diseases that make them carriers for life. As far as your hoping it is some other respiratory disease than Mycoplasma, the reality is none of them are good. As far as your needing to cull your entire flock if you move, I would cross that bridge if/when you come to it. Depending on where you move to and if your flock is in close proximity to other backyard flocks, it may be entirely feasible to take them with you.

 

[Eggcessive]

If one bird in your flock has MG, they all will probably test positive. All poultry can get MG. I would close your flock, since there is no need to cull them. If one is particularly sick, you could sacrifice it, and send it to your state vet for a necropsy. They can also tell you how to get testing. Have you seen one with bubbles or foam in one eye, or swelling of the eyelid or face? Those are signs of MG. You have time to think about how to deal with this until the time you move. You could offer your birds to a neighbor to keep, letting them know if your test comes back positive. Zoologix, a national company can do MG (and a panel of 8 diseases) pcr testing by sending you swabs to collect and send back to them. That is a private way to go. Here is a link to them and contact info:
https://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm

 

[wrenhen]

If one bird in your flock has MG, they all will probably test positive. All poultry can get MG. I would close your flock, since there is no need to cull them. If one is particularly sick, you could sacrifice it, and send it to your state vet for a necropsy. They can also tell you how to get testing. Have you seen one with bubbles or foam in one eye, or swelling of the eyelid or face? Those are signs of MG. You have time to think about how to deal with this until the time you move. You could offer your birds to a neighbor to keep, letting them know if your test comes back positive. Zoologix, a national company can do MG (and a panel of 8 diseases) pcr testing by sending you swabs to collect and send back to them. That is a private way to go. Here is a link to them and contact info:
https://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htm

Unfortunately yes, here is how he looks today. Ive been flushing his eye with saline and applying antibiotic ointment. This was just before a cleaning. He is going to the vet tomorrow so hopefully they can get some tests done and confirm. Idk the legality of taking them over state lines with MG so I will look into it... also maybe hoping someone with an already positive flock would want to take them? If I can find one... Ive at least got another year or two with them to think about it.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Mycoplasma is not a reportable disease in most states including Texas, meaning it is entirely up to the flock-keeper as to how they deal with the issue. (Most all other respiratory diseases are not reportable either.) Many states including Texas don't even require a flock to test free of mycoplasma to be certified NPIP. Depending on which state you move to, you can learn that state's rules before making the move.

 

[wrenhen]

Mycoplasma is not a reportable disease in most states including Texas, meaning it is entirely up to the flock-keeper as to how they deal with the issue. (Most all other respiratory diseases are not reportable either.) Many states including Texas don't even require a flock to test free of mycoplasma to be certified NPIP. Depending on which state you move to, you can learn that state's rules before making the move.

Oh interesting. This gives me a bit of hope that I could maybe bring them, and when they all naturally die just letting the land rest before starting over again.

 

[wrenhen]

@Allsfairinloveandbugs @Eggcessive I took Randy to the vet today and it seemed fairly positive. Just for an abundance of caution I agreed to an eye stain to make sure it wasnt just some sort of ulcer/wound. He did not have any eye wound. He was perfectly healthy all over, his weight was good, well hydrated, heart and lungs clear, bright and active. No sign of illness inside his mouth/throat. The vet didnt seem overly concerned it was mycoplasma because he showed no other symptoms, but said it wasnt out of the realm of possibility.
We sent off swabs from his trachea to a lab, so I will get results next week if he is positive for mycoplasma or any other respiratory illness.
He is on a round of Sulfatrim Suspension and Meloxidyl to just get him back to normal, which is probably overkill but he is a good rooster and I never plan on eating him, so his status as organic is negligible to me.

I did ask about in the future using Denegard and she suggested just using it when symptoms occur since a resistance can be built up over time with too frequent of use.

He was very calm at the vet and curious, didn't struggle or fuss when they examined him or peaked in his mouth. He took his medicine like it was nothing.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

That's all great news!. You are surely very relieved by all your vet told you. Re Denagard, just an FYI it doesn't control any other poultry diseases other than mycoplasmosis (MG, MS. etc.) When I first learned of tiamulin (denagard) 8 years ago, all studies and reports I read said that Mycoplasma had no resistance to tiamulin. But I have read in more recent years that some strains are becoming resistant. But hopefully that is a moot issue and your rooster's lab results come back disease-free .