Puffy eyes out of nowhere.

[megansmagnificents]

I see no point in having a second vet come out to your house if the first vet already sent the sample in to be tested.
I would recommend waiting to get the results before you start making plans on how to proceed.
MG doesn't just go away and if it is that you are going to want to keep your flock as stress free as possible to prevent reoccurring outbreaks/symptoms.
Some people don't mind having to constantly give their birds antibiotics and some people would rather not have to deal with it at all and decide to cull their flock and start over.

The struggle is more birds are getting symptoms very rapidly and I don't have anything to treat them all with. I ordered & expedited shipping but still not getting it very soon. The tests could take 7-14 days. I obviously won't double up on testing - but I need to be able to treat somehow sooner than later. I realize guesswork at treating is also sketchy... without the full picture of results. It's frustrating and I'm trying to do my best by them as they are my pets and I also have 5 babies to consider

 

[megansmagnificents]

Splitting up the big girls like this isn't a good idea. Whatever this swollen eyed girls have the others have already been exposed to, so there's absolutely no point in removing them from the flock. Removing those can cause unnecessary stress to both of the groups of birds and you may have more issues trying to iterate them back together.

It was a recommendation by the avian vet.

 

[BastyPutt]

Edit: I typed this out earlier this morning and neglected to send it . Sorry, some info has already been discussed.

Apparently NY state has gotten crazy with antibiotics for 'food' animals

This is on the federal level as of June 11th. A lot of good antibiotics are no longer going to available OTC. Terramycin and tylosin are on the list of exnayed drugs. Stores who have stock are currently permitted to sell whatever they have. This was my reasoning to have you get whatever you could quickly.

How does one put new babies into that situation. Or do they not?

It is perceived generally as unethical to bring otherwise healthy birds into a flock with a life long, highly infectious disease. Ultimately, as long as your aren't getting rid of birds and infecting other flocks, bringing new birds in is a personal choice. Again, MG isn't fatal if managed properly, so it isn't necessarily a death sentence to new birds.

My mother has had an MG infected flock for over 10 years now. She hatches into her flock, but doesn't order any chicks in. MG can be passed to a chick through the egg, so it's assumed all the chicks she hatches are born with it. I was on the fence with this initially, but there is a an argument to be made about giving something life with MG, that otherwise wouldn't have had it.

And again, it is very manageable. She has hatched chicks that live a full 5 to 6 year life. Id say this is primarily why I now support her practice of hatching chicks into the flock.

She will spot treat the symptomatic birds, but doesn't do any kind of preventative treatments, or flock dosing. You'd have no idea her flock would have anything wrong with it just by walking though it.

Can they be vax'd?

For MG, yes. But I'm not certain to what extent it protects, or if it is like others where birds can still contract the RD, but just won't be symptomatic.

 

[BastyPutt]

I ordered & expedited shipping but still not getting it very soon

@Eggcessive what about fishmox here? Usually you have a pretty good chance of finding it somewhere.

Id call every feed store within whatever distance I'd be willing to drive, which would be a very long way for me to some of the folks answer the phones at these places, the antibiotic names are going to be like a different language, so I'd ask for them by brand name. Your best bet is going to be Tylan 50 or 200, injectable.

It was a recommendation by the avian vet.

This is kind of what I was hinting toward in my original response. Vets are great, and I take nothing away from them. They are obviously well intentioned for the most part. But BackYardChickens.com exist for a reason - because professional vets, even those specializing in avian, don't understand the common backyard chicken. In this case, the first vet obviously doesn't understand the urgency of the situation, or what @Kiki pointed out, their social structure.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

@Eggcessive what about fishmox here? Usually you have a pretty good chance of finding it somewhere.

Id call every feed store within whatever distance I'd be willing to drive, which would be a very long way for me to some of the folks answer the phones at these places, the antibiotic names are going to be like a different language, so I'd ask for them by brand name. Your best bet is going to be Tylan 50 or 200, injectable.

This is kind of what I was hinting toward in my original response. Vets are great, and I take nothing away from them. They are obviously well intentioned for the most part. But BackYardChickens.com exist for a reason - because professional vets, even those specializing in avian, don't understand the common backyard chicken. In this case, the first vet obviously doesn't understand the urgency of the situation, or what @Kiki pointed out, their social structure.

Call Terry Smith at Smith Poultry Supplies. (913) 879-2587
https://www.poultrysupplies.com/

I just ordered Doxy-Tyl and amoxicillin yesterday. She’s the best!

 

[megansmagnificents]

Edit: I typed this out earlier this morning and neglected to send it . Sorry, some info has already been discussed.


This is on the federal level as of June 11th. A lot of good antibiotics are no longer going to available OTC. Terramycin and tylosin are on the list of exnayed drugs. Stores who have stock are currently permitted to sell whatever they have. This was my reasoning to have you get whatever you could quickly.

It is perceived generally as unethical to bring otherwise healthy birds into a flock with a life long, highly infectious disease. Ultimately, as long as your aren't getting rid of birds and infecting other flocks, bringing new birds in is a personal choice. Again, MG isn't fatal if managed properly, so it isn't necessarily a death sentence to new birds.

My mother has had an MG infected flock for over 10 years now. She hatches into her flock, but doesn't order any chicks in. MG can be passed to a chick through the egg, so it's assumed all the chicks she hatches are born with it. I was on the fence with this initially, but there is a an argument to be made about giving something life with MG, that otherwise wouldn't have had it.

And again, it is very manageable. She has hatched chicks that live a full 5 to 6 year life. Id say this is primarily why I now support her practice of hatching chicks into the flock.

She will spot treat the symptomatic birds, but doesn't do any kind of preventative treatments, or flock dosing. You'd have no idea her flock would have anything wrong with it just by walking though it.

For MG, yes. But I'm not certain to what extent it protects, or if it is like others where birds can still contract the RD, but just won't be symptomatic.

If it is MG - it was mentioned that it is possible the babies brought it in. I did get them from a reputable NPIP hatchery - not some random person. Mind you, they've had almost no interactions with the big girls. There was one face to face with my friendliest hen that lasted about 9 seconds. I suppose if there was another bird to test as a 'sample' it might be a baby. I do hope it's not that - understand it's manageable but obviously changes things. I saw a number as high as 65% of birds have MG? How is that even possible?? If that's a true measurement?

 

[megansmagnificents]

Call Terry Smith at Smith Poultry Supplies. (913) 879-2587
https://www.poultrysupplies.com/

I just ordered Doxy-Tyl and amoxicillin yesterday. She’s the best!

Thank you so much.
I ordered Tylosol and Doxy last night.
And more Terramycin ointment
Not the combo, though.
I have Amox here.
Just didn't think it was a first line go to for respiratory.

So is there going to be a dark web black market for chicken drugs now?
How are we suppose to care for these birds?
I get the antibiotic resistance / enter the food chain thing - but if they are our pets for craps sake?

 

[megansmagnificents]

@Eggcessive what about fishmox here? Usually you have a pretty good chance of finding it somewhere.

Id call every feed store within whatever distance I'd be willing to drive, which would be a very long way for me to some of the folks answer the phones at these places, the antibiotic names are going to be like a different language, so I'd ask for them by brand name. Your best bet is going to be Tylan 50 or 200, injectable.

This is kind of what I was hinting toward in my original response. Vets are great, and I take nothing away from them. They are obviously well intentioned for the most part. But BackYardChickens.com exist for a reason - because professional vets, even those specializing in avian, don't understand the common backyard chicken. In this case, the first vet obviously doesn't understand the urgency of the situation, or what @Kiki pointed out, their social structure.

FWIW everyone is doing ok and isn't appearing stressed - once I get the vet visit over I will know more where to go from here. I understand the social structure. You'd remove a solo sick chicken no matter what. I guess this is sort of doing the opposite. That said, just because they aren't showing signs doesn't mean they don't have whatever this is. I'm just trying not to screw up in every direction. Attached is my girl (my favorite sweetheart) who only started symptoms mid afternoon yesterday.

 

[BastyPutt]

If it is MG - it was mentioned that it is possible the babies brought it in. I did get them from a reputable NPIP hatchery - not some random person. Mind you, they've had almost no interactions with the big girls. There was one face to face with my friendliest hen that lasted about 9 seconds. I suppose if there was another bird to test as a 'sample' it might be a baby. I do hope it's not that - understand it's manageable but obviously changes things. I saw a number as high as 65% of birds have MG? How is that even possible?? If that's a true measurement?

Because of how contagious it is, you'll probably never know.

NPIP's recertification is annual. A lot can happen in a year. I personally believe the only real places you be assured to get disease free birds is some place like hackle, Mcmurray, etc. Directly from them, not out of the TSC bins. Talk about a bio security cesspool. If they were to have some sort of an outbreak, we would all know about it. They have a whole lot to lose and keeping their facility disease-free.

65% is a stretch I'd imagine, but the actual number is probably well over what you think it would be.

I'm sure it's really stressful right now for you at it's onset, but I think as you treat this first bout of symptoms and you learn more about how and when to treat them, you'll see that it isn't so bad. The big obvious drawback is whether or not to add birds to her flock

 

[megansmagnificents]

Because of how contagious it is, you'll probably never know.

NPIP's recertification is annual. A lot can happen in a year. I personally believe the only real places you be assured to get disease free birds is some place like hackle, Mcmurray, etc. Directly from them, not out of the TSC bins. Talk about a bio security cesspool. If they were to have some sort of an outbreak, we would all know about it. They have a whole lot to lose and keeping their facility disease-free.

65% is a stretch I'd imagine, but the actual number is probably well over what you think it would be.

I'm sure it's really stressful right now for you at it's onset, but I think as you treat this first bout of symptoms and you learn more about how and when to treat them, you'll see that it isn't so bad. The big obvious drawback is whether or not to add birds to her flockM

Because of how contagious it is, you'll probably never know.

NPIP's recertification is annual. A lot can happen in a year. I personally believe the only real places you be assured to get disease free birds is some place like hackle, Mcmurray, etc. Directly from them, not out of the TSC bins. Talk about a bio security cesspool. If they were to have some sort of an outbreak, we would all know about it. They have a whole lot to lose and keeping their facility disease-free.

65% is a stretch I'd imagine, but the actual number is probably well over what you think it would be.

I'm sure it's really stressful right now for you at it's onset, but I think as you treat this first bout of symptoms and you learn more about how and when to treat them, you'll see that it isn't so bad. The big obvious drawback is whether or not to add birds to her flock

A lot can happen in a year - or in a few days apparently. Ugh.
I got my 2 rounds of girls from Meyer - I've had zero issues & they all arrived happy & healthy both times. There are a gazillion wild birds & wildlife around here - probably enough pathogens to last 4 lifetimes. I still keep thinking about the wildfire smoke - my one girl was wheezing a little after those few rough days (as was I). Could it have turnt in a bacterial thing? Maybe. Am I reaching? Maybe. Thanks again for your thoughtful responses.