Urgent-Online vet recommendations? Very concerned about illness in my flock!

[pennyJo1960]

Well, I went to the vet today and she thinks it's MP. She advised that the swab probably wasn't worth it because this is the most common and most likely issue. She wants me to treat with Tylan. So my next question is, have any of you dealt with this in your flocks? My head is spinning over what I was told. On one hand, it sounds really common. On the other the official recommendation is to depopulate my flock. I have so many questions!

It is not a death sentence .. and that is what @Eggcessive suggested.

 

[Buffberry]

Well, I went to the vet today and she thinks it's MP. She advised that the swab probably wasn't worth it because this is the most common and most likely issue. She wants me to treat with Tylan. So my next question is, have any of you dealt with this in your flocks? My head is spinning over what I was told. On one hand, it sounds really common. On the other the official recommendation is to depopulate my flock. I have so many questions!

Here in New Zealand most every flock carries mycoplasma. Most chicken carriers simply have a few sneezes when the weather changes : that's it, the sneezes soon pass and life goes on. A few get the swollen faces/eyes and runny eyes - these are the ones that have problems. You can treat them but it will usually return. In my flock, I cull any that are having difficulties with those symptoms, obviously unhappy and not improving.

 

[3qkate]

It is not a death sentence .. and that is what @Eggcessive suggested.

Yes, exactly what was recommended. The vet just told me that some of my chickens may die and that they are supposed to tell people to depopulate and start over. She didn’t want to officially say that since these are pets and not just livestock. I’m finding myself curious how they got it and worried about future spread. Is it irresponsible to keep these chickens and add a few more? That was the original plan. We know quite a few people with their own flocks. Curious if it was spread from any of them and now I’m worried about us carrying it to others. I have a lot to learn about this. I really appreciate everyone’s input!

 

[3qkate]

Here in New Zealand most every flock carries mycoplasma. Most chicken carriers simply have a few sneezes when the weather changes : that's it, the sneezes soon pass and life goes on. A few get the swollen faces/eyes and runny eyes - these are the ones that have problems. You can treat them but it will usually return. In my flock, I cull any that are having difficulties with those symptoms, obviously unhappy and not improving.

Thank you. Quality of life is.a helpful way to measure this. So far everyone seems happy and active for the most part. I think our sickest hen got that way because the rooster has been stressing her out with his recent undying affection.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, exactly what was recommended. The vet just told me that some of my chickens may die and that they are supposed to tell people to depopulate and start over. She didn’t want to officially say that since these are pets and not just livestock. I’m finding myself curious how they got it and worried about future spread. Is it irresponsible to keep these chickens and add a few more? That was the original plan. We know quite a few people with their own flocks. Curious if it was spread from any of them and now I’m worried about us carrying it to others. I have a lot to learn about this. I really appreciate everyone’s input!

It is hard to know how one gets MG. No hatcheries can guarantee that their chickens are 100% MG free. Many get it unbeknownst from a another flock when buying a new chicken. Some are not aware they have it, while some think it may be a normal thing. It can pass through a hatching egg or be brought in on shoes or from wild birds. It can be common in some backyard flocks and it is best to close your flock for their life if you have an outbreak, since all birds should be considered carriers, even if they never show symptoms.

 

[3qkate]

It is hard to know how one gets MG. No hatcheries can guarantee that their chickens are 100% MG free. Many get it unbeknownst from a another flock when buying a new chicken. Some are not aware they have it, while some think it may be a normal thing. It can pass through a hatching egg or be brought in on shoes or from wild birds. It can be common in some backyard flocks and it is best to close your flock for their life if you have an outbreak, since all birds should be considered carriers, even if they never show symptoms.

Thank you! I was thinking that about our flock. One more question here, I brought 3 silkie pullets home about a week ago, before I realized this was an illness and not just stress in one chicken. They are 12 weeks old. We have kept them on a separate part of the property and we have done hand washing and shoe changes between handling the different sets of chickens (ironically to make sure the silkies weren’t bringing anything in). Is it possible to test them to see if they now have it? If they don’t I feel it’s probably best to move them on before they do. I had ordered a separate coop for them but probably have time to cancel it. This whole thing makes me want to cry

 

[Eggcessive]

You can check with your state vet or regular vet about testing. Your local NPIP inspector might be helpful. It costs about $90 to test for MG in a single chicken from a national lab, such as Zoologix. MG symptoms can show up within 6-10 days of exposure according to the article:
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/dise...tion-m-g-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Thank you! I was thinking that about our flock. One more question here, I brought 3 silkie pullets home about a week ago, before I realized this was an illness and not just stress in one chicken. They are 12 weeks old. We have kept them on a separate part of the property and we have done hand washing and shoe changes between handling the different sets of chickens (ironically to make sure the silkies weren’t bringing anything in). Is it possible to test them to see if they now have it? If they don’t I feel it’s probably best to move them on before they do. I had ordered a separate coop for them but probably have time to cancel it. This whole thing makes me want to cry

Yes, MP is very common. A few of mine came from a reputable hatchery with it. I hatched eggs from the flock and 3 of the chicks showed symptoms straight out of the brooder (before I knew the parent stock had it).

Only 1 has significant issues and is not thriving, though some improvement has been made with added care. We did an eye swab on this one to make sure it was MP and they confirmed it was. The cost was around $300. They offered to send another sample to a university to determine exact type, but since the treatment plan really wouldn't change, I opted not to spend more money. Most will do well and recover fine, but it will remain in your flock as mentioned.

Boosting their immune systems as much as you can is important, and providing the highest quality diet and enrichment, with minimal stress.

If your other one continues to do poorly, you may want to consider finding a loving home for her and a flockmate, so that person can focus all their attention on their needs.

It really depends on your situation though and the amount of time you have.

For me, I wouldn't cull any of your pet birds. I would however, prepare to provide some extra immune boosters for them for the life of the flock, and monitor them more closely than you would a flock that doesn't have MP. You can choose to treat symptoms with antibiotics periodically and it may help them during those times.

 

[3qkate]

Yes, MP is very common. A few of mine came from a reputable hatchery with it. I hatched eggs from the flock and 3 of the chicks showed symptoms straight out of the brooder (before I knew the parent stock had it).

Only 1 has significant issues and is not thriving, though some improvement has been made with added care. We did an eye swab on this one to make sure it was MP and they confirmed it was. The cost was around $300. They offered to send another sample to a university to determine exact type, but since the treatment plan really wouldn't change, I opted not to spend more money. Most will do well and recover fine, but it will remain in your flock as mentioned.

Boosting their immune systems as much as you can is important, and providing the highest quality diet and enrichment, with minimal stress.

If your other one continues to do poorly, you may want to consider finding a loving home for her and a flockmate, so that person can focus all their attention on their needs.

It really depends on your situation though and the amount of time you have.

For me, I wouldn't cull any of your pet birds. I would however, prepare to provide some extra immune boosters for them for the life of the flock, and monitor them more closely than you would a flock that doesn't have MP. You can choose to treat symptoms with antibiotics periodically and it may help them during those times.

Thank you so much for this! I don't think I could bring myself to cull anyone, especially since their quality of life seems pretty good. We are pretty conscientious about diet and their coop environment, and I certainly don't mind adding immune boosters. That is a helpful suggestion. Can I ask, have you decided to keep a closed flock? I'm at a bit of a loss for what to do with the pullets I mentioned in my other post. Any advice is welcome!

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Thank you so much for this! I don't think I could bring myself to cull anyone, especially since their quality of life seems pretty good. We are pretty conscientious about diet and their coop environment, and I certainly don't mind adding immune boosters. That is a helpful suggestion. Can I ask, have you decided to keep a closed flock? I'm at a bit of a loss for what to do with the pullets I mentioned in my other post. Any advice is welcome!

Right now my entire flock (even though in two coops) came from the one hatchery, and the offspring of that flock are the ones who showed the signs in a few birds, so technically they are both potential carriers and it is a closed system. I will likely add offspring hatched from eggs of unrelated members of the flock in the future, so they will all still be potential carriers.

It's really up to you if you choose to bring in others from outside sources.

I would say another important thing to consider is disinfecting feeders and waterers regularly. I like to use stainless steel waterers for that purpose. Because of the eye issues your hen is showing, other bacterial infections can take hold, so cleanliness is really important.

Wishing you the best with them! : )

Regarding the pullets, if you keep them on the land, there is a chance they will get it from wild birds and other animals that may accidentally spread it. Again the best thing to do is keep them as healthy as possible. It's a tough call, but you can choose to integrate them, or keep them separate. If you have a coop coming, it doesn't hurt to have a separate flock. You can also test them to be sure.