Thanks for the chronic respiratory illness, EE Breeder

tnmommy

Songster
10 Years
Apr 14, 2013
340
26
181
Loretto, TN
Well, I now have to make the decision to have a closed flock for a few years or cull everyone. I absolutely adore almost all of my birds (ninja rooster not so much) and the thought of culling the ones that are resisting the infection is tearing me up. We had nothing here until I brought home new chicks, which I have never done since my original 4. I bought 5 Easter Egger chicks and as they grew, one by one, they fell. They were already in the same room with my younger chicks after several WEEKS of showing absolutely no signs of illness. Yes, they were isolated first. I am down to 2, and one blue Australorp is going downhill fast despite antibiotics (I can't remember the name, but it was the one first recommended). Before I bother with another more expensive antibiotic, I just wanted to ask you guys if there is a point.

If they will all be on antibiotics for the rest of their lives, then I can't justify keeping all of them. I will have to cull down to the favorite pets, because paying to feed chickens whose eggs I can't even eat or sell is just not going to happen. If I'm just needing to treat if they become symptomatic, that is something I can do.

Can I vaccinate day old chicks with any success, or will they already be infected in the shell? I have two 0% hatches under my belt this month. Is that mycoplasma or the crummy little giant incubator refusing to maintain humidity and temperature? They developed fine in the older hovabator incubator but are dying in the shell in the little giant I bought for hatching. I had one chick pip and emerge from the shell partially while I was asleep, and it was dead. So I'm believing it had the respiratory illness already. The temp in the bator was warm enough that it should not have gotten chilled at all. I have eggs from another breeder in the hovabator, or I would have left the second batch of eggs in the the old bator.

So incredibly sad. I love my chooks.
 
If they will all be on antibiotics for the rest of their lives, then I can't justify keeping all of them. I will have to cull down to the favorite pets, because paying to feed chickens whose eggs I can't even eat or sell is just not going to happen. If I'm just needing to treat if they become symptomatic, that is something I can do.
Are all of your birds sick? Why do you think ALL would have to be on antibiotics forever?

If they are pets then why not see how far natural resistance goes? Many of your adult birds may NOT get sick and still produce good eggs.

Fact is there are a LOT of serious diseases that are infecting many many flocks, vaccinations may help but natural resistance will have to play a part. These days most everybody buys/acquires too many birds to avoid this stuff, and even if you don't some diseases like Marek's could be picked up on your clothing at a feed store or from a sparrow visiting a neighboring flock.
 
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I just know that all of the birds are likely to be exposed. I was building up a flock to breed quality birds and was selling utility hatching eggs locally. Obviously I'm not selling hatching eggs from birds that can pass the illness to the chicks in the eggs. I have been reading up on vitamin deficiencies and vitamin e deficiency can cause similar symptoms. I will supplement for my boy and look into better feed or supplements if that is the cause. I'm hoping very much that is the cause.
 
If I am dealing with mycoplasma, are my incubating chicks doomed? If they aren't exposed, they could go to my sister-in-law. I don't want her chickens exposed, though. I always wash my hands diligently before handling eggs. They were, however, in the same incubator with eggs from my Australorps. The Australorps are in a separate pen.
 
If I am dealing with mycoplasma, are my incubating chicks doomed? If they aren't exposed, they could go to my sister-in-law. I don't want her chickens exposed, though. I always wash my hands diligently before handling eggs. They were, however, in the same incubator with eggs from my Australorps. The Australorps are in a separate pen.
It can definitely pass through to the chick inside the egg - There is a blood test for it. You can call a vet and ask if needed.

I hope this helps.
 
I'm shipping some eggs to the state vet, but in the meantime, I have put multi-vitamin in the drinking water. The cockerel is doing MUCH better. He is standing up for quite a while and his feathers are growing in. His eyes have more sparkle. Maybe there is hope that we are not dealing with MG.
 

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