This has been worrying me for a while... MG & CRD experts needed

[Year of the Rooster]

Earlier this fall I went to the Ohio National for the first time, one of the most awesome experiences I have had with chickens! I went there planning on buying show quality Sebrights and did. I bought a really nice pair from one breeder and a quad from another Here is what's worrying me. The day after we brought them home, the pair I bought from one of the breeders were sneezing and there was noticeable rattling when they would breathe. These were the only symptoms. No nasal discharge. No puffiness of the sinuses. No foul smell from their mouth. No abnormal droppings or change in appetite. These were the only two birds that exhibited these symptoms and they weren't like this when I bought them (I personally held them and looked them over myself). After much thinking and seeing some threads here about MG/CRD, I am worried this may be the case.... These are my first show quality Sebrights that I have ever had, and considering I paid $100 for this pair, I would be very upset/angry if I have to cull them. And I would find it hard to imagine that someone as well-known as Mr. Krahe would knowingly sell birds that are carriers (but who am I to say? I've only met the guy once...), especially for such a fragile breed. Can anyone give some insight on this? I did give them tetracycline for a week, in case there was secondary infection. The wheezing/rattling only lasted a couple days, but I made sure to finish out a full treatment.

 

[Tracy the chick]

Hi ive learnt a lot of birds can catch diseases going to shows.. Your birds could of caught the disease from there but didnt have it when it went. People are always sticking fingers in the cages trying to stroke them and all there doing is contamanating each bird. I go to lots of shows to watch (never shown a bird yet) and when i get home first thing i do is wash hands and change clothes before touching mine. I hope its not MG hun. Good luck..Tracy

 

[ICallMyselfCherie']

Hi there. Well, I'm definitely no expert on MG, but I thought I'd add something because I do know how important the incubation period of an illness is to a differential diagnosis. So, I looked up more information about MG, and what I can tell you that according to what I've read it's incubation period is at least six days. I don't know how long the Ohio National lasts, but if it IS MG he would have had to have had them there for at least five days in order for you to get them home and have them sick the next day. If the Ohio National doesn't last that long and it is in fact MG, they didn't get it there.

 

[PurpleChicken]

There is only one way to be sure you have or don't have MG/MS in your flock and that is to test. Most states will do it for little or no cost.

If those symptoms only lasted a few days and none of your other chickens have shown signs in a year then I wouldn't be too concerned.


Assuming just because someone is a known breeder that they won't have MG in their flock is very dangerous.

 

[dawg53]

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x2
MG is Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD.) Infected birds are carriers. They may seem to look normal, act normal after awhile etc...however, if they are stressed in some manner, the symptoms will reappear. The disease is contageous and will spread through your flock. You will have to maintain a closed flock if you decide to keep them. If it fact it has been verified with bloodwork that it is a mycoplasma disease (or necropsy,) you can treat your birds with denagard instead of other antibiotics such as tetracycline or tylan. The disease will eventually build resistance to those antibiotics and will become ineffective in treating the symptoms...additionally there are withdrawal times. There isnt any cure for the mycoplasma diseases. Commercially, birds are vaccinated or culled accordingly. Denagard has no withdrawal times for egg consumption, 3 days for slaughter. Most importantly, there isnt any resistance to it. Denagard is only effective for the mycoplasma diseases. It can be purchased at QC Supply. There is an initial treatment dose and a monthly preventative dosage thereafter. Birds still remain carriers, the disease is passed through the eggs. Your other option is to cull. Here's several links for you to read:
Scroll down to "M. Gallisepticum" in the first link:
http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/respiratory_disease.htm
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps034
http://www.denagard.com/pig-poultry-public/en/index.shtml

 

[Year of the Rooster]

ICallMyselfCherie' :

Hi there. Well, I'm definitely no expert on MG, but I thought I'd add something because I do know how important the incubation period of an illness is to a differential diagnosis. So, I looked up more information about MG, and what I can tell you that according to what I've read it's incubation period is at least six days. I don't know how long the Ohio National lasts, but if it IS MG he would have had to have had them there for at least five days in order for you to get them home and have them sick the next day. If the Ohio National doesn't last that long and it is in fact MG, they didn't get it there.

The Ohio National lasted about 3 days, from Nov. 11th to the 13th. Birds arrived the night of the 11th and we bought the birds on the 12th. So this gives me hope...


Thank you everyone for the info. Where can I get them tested for MG/CRD? Do they do it for NPIP testing?​

 

[homeschoolchick]

Please don't forget they could have been carriers and the stress of the show and then the move could have caused the symptoms. My birds were fine for about six months from when I got them and had no symptoms until the change in weather and molt. They either got MS on my property that had no other poultry or they were carriers from the breeder. They may not have MG/MS but you won't know if you keep treating symptoms before testing. The state lab in MD did my testing for free. They came out and swabbed all my birds.

 

[foxypoproxy]

Quote:
Agreed

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Did you talk to the breeder when they got sick? Are you keeping him updated?

 

[foxypoproxy]

Quote:
The Ohio National lasted about 3 days, from Nov. 11th to the 13th. Birds arrived the night of the 11th and we bought the birds on the 12th. So this gives me hope...


Thank you everyone for the info. Where can I get them tested for MG/CRD? Do they do it for NPIP testing?

NPIP normally doesn't test for MG/MS/CRD unless you ask them too.
You can call a state vet to get them tested.
I would mostly be alarmed if they showed more symptoms then sneezing, have gotten worse, or had it for a long period of time going away and coming back.
But the only way you will know is if you get them tested or necropsy-ed.
You can call your state vet to see if they will do the testing for you.

You should also look into worming if they haven't been wormed.
Ive heard worms can cause some symptoms like sneezing or rattled/gurgled breathing and be mistaken as CRD.
You can bring a stool sample to your vet and they will test for worms/parasites, only costs about $12.