Thoughts on Mycoplasma

[AbigaelR]

Hey all this is a bit long but would love peoples thoughts an opinions

When I first got chickens I purchased them from a local no-name feedstore. It was so run down and all the chicks were kept in fairly terrible conditions. Of course I had to save them! Fast forward to the chickens being about a year old, one of the Buff O. has a swollen face, my BR and RR hens also start exhibiting upper respiratory problems and bubbles in the eyes. I went to the internet to figure out what their illness may be and came to the conclusion it was Mycoplasma. They were in terrible shape and I was just about convinced they were going to die.

But they all pulled through thanks to Tylan 50 sub-q injections, Vet-Rx, and my very patient husbands help. Weird thing though is that my Silkie rooster and Americana hen NEVER displayed any signs of illness. I did not segregate the sick hens at the time because I figured if they had Mycoplasma they would all have it and in the end wouldn't have helped.

I've had the BR hen for close to three years now and she has never since exhibited any signs. She's been in extreme Mississippi heat, traveled across country, and experienced Oklahomas ice winters, so fairly high stress situations. To my understanding those times would have been perfect for a flare up. Additionally she has been mixed with other flocks and no one ever got sick.

Is it possible they all just got some type of contagious upper respiratory infection that ran its course and went away? That I may have possibly miss-diagnosed?

 

[Mrs. K]

yes, it is possible. Unless you did diagnostic testing, you really can't be sure what they had.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Hey all this is a bit long but would love peoples thoughts an opinions

When I first got chickens I purchased them from a local no-name feedstore. It was so run down and all the chicks were kept in fairly terrible conditions. Of course I had to save them! Fast forward to the chickens being about a year old, one of the Buff O. has a swollen face, my BR and RR hens also start exhibiting upper respiratory problems and bubbles in the eyes. I went to the internet to figure out what their illness may be and came to the conclusion it was Mycoplasma. They were in terrible shape and I was just about convinced they were going to die.

But they all pulled through thanks to Tylan 50 sub-q injections, Vet-Rx, and my very patient husbands help. Weird thing though is that my Silkie rooster and Americana hen NEVER displayed any signs of illness. I did not segregate the sick hens at the time because I figured if they had Mycoplasma they would all have it and in the end wouldn't have helped.

I've had the BR hen for close to three years now and she has never since exhibited any signs. She's been in extreme Mississippi heat, traveled across country, and experienced Oklahomas ice winters, so fairly high stress situations. To my understanding those times would have been perfect for a flare up. Additionally she has been mixed with other flocks and no one ever got sick.

Is it possible they all just got some type of contagious upper respiratory infection that ran its course and went away? That I may have possibly miss-diagnosed?

More than likely the birds that aren’t showing signs are are stronger genetically than the others. If you were planning on breeding anyof them those birds not showing signs would be my choice.

 

[aart]

yes, it is possible. Unless you did diagnostic testing, you really can't be sure what they had.

More than likely the birds that aren’t showing signs are are stronger genetically than the others. If you were planning on breeding any of them those birds not showing signs would be my choice.

Ditto botha Dos^^^

She/they could still be carrying the 'disease'(what ever it was).

Additionally she has been mixed with other flocks and no one ever got sick.

What does this mean....you added other birds or you have other flocks that you mix on occasion or....???

 

[AbigaelR]

More than likely the birds that aren’t showing signs are are stronger genetically than the others. If you were planning on breeding any of them those birds not showing signs would be my choice.

No plans to breed, sell, or give away. Strictly because she was so sick at one point.

 

[AbigaelR]

Ditto botha Dos^^^

She/they could still be carrying the 'disease'(what ever it was).


What does this mean....you added other birds or you have other flocks that you mix on occasion or....???

I definitely agree with that. But anything that sticks long term usually rears its ugly head again at one point or another? Unless her own antibodies fought it off and she carries it in the sense of having the antibodies? I just remember reading about so much stuff saying to cull a bird that had Mycoplasma because the bird will become sick again in high stress.

Both. I have bought more chickens since then and she is currently with a friends flock as our set up isnt finished at our new house, so with a completely different flock. She will be back this weekend though.

 

[aart]

But anything that sticks long term usually rears its ugly head again at one point or another? Unless her own antibodies fought it off and she carries it in the sense of having the antibodies? I just remember reading about so much stuff saying to cull a bird that had Mycoplasma because the bird will become sick again in high stress.

Hard to say...big thing is, you don't know what she had.
A good avian vet or lab could do swabs to pinpoint what disease she had/has.