Vaccinations for MG - do you recommend?

[duluthralphie]

I can tell you that even buying from reputable isn't a solid guarantee, unfortunately. I don't cull anything with the sniffles nor have I ever had any die from it. Bought from a few reputable breeders and all of a sudden my flock had it. Never had huge issues with it and it always clears up and only a few birds get it at a time so I am not so threatened by it anymore like I use to.

Mycoplasma is so common in chickens and really makes no difference unless you have a confined flock and need maximum weight gain in the shortest time possible.

Only 15 states care or test for it with a NPIP flock even...and I know some of them are looking at dropping it.


Tweety birds and waterfowl can spread it..

 

[ChookFlyingToTheMoon]

What symptoms are they displaying?

Are any dying? Do you free range? Do the birds come in contact with ducks or tweety birds?

Do you have pictures ?


Lot of Questions I know....sorry ..they might make a diff in what to do.

They've already been diagnosed and culled. None were dying, yes they had a duck, they free ranged on a small plot of land. No wild birds. They had sweet breath, bubbly eyes, wheezing, drop in egg production, not very lively but still scratching and pecking.

We are currently working on turning all the runs and disinfecting everything, don't plan to have chickens on there till next February (three months away). We wouldn't be able to keep an infected flock as the allotments owners? say you must cull

 

[duluthralphie]

They've already been diagnosed and culled. None were dying, yes they had a duck, they free ranged on a small plot of land. No wild birds. They had sweet breath, bubbly eyes, wheezing, drop in egg production, not very lively but still scratching and pecking.

We are currently working on turning all the runs and disinfecting everything, don't plan to have chickens on there till next February (three months away). We wouldn't be able to keep an infected flock as the allotments owners? say you must cull

Interesting. What is an allotment owner?

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Interesting. What is an allotment owner?

I am thinking landlord...

Gary

 

[ChookFlyingToTheMoon]

Interesting. What is an allotment owner?

The East Riding of Yorkshire's council passed the allotments on to a private company so I don't know who, we just all got these letters on new rules and the like. They're not like landlords, landlords should know what they're doing, these guys don't.

Though, I had already decided to cull as I wouldn't feel right at all selling chicks and eggs I know can infect someone's flock

 

[duluthralphie]

You have to go through a 3rd party to have chickens on your own land? I am kind of confused. Sorry.

 

[BantyChooks]

The East Riding of Yorkshire's council passed the allotments on to a private company so I don't know who, we just all got these letters on new rules and the like. They're not like landlords, landlords should know what they're doing, these guys don't.

Though, I had already decided to cull as I wouldn't feel right at all selling chicks and eggs I know can infect someone's flock

That stinks, and it sounds like your birds had a bad strain too.

The vaccine sounds interesting. Keep us updated on what you try.

 

[duluthralphie]

MG/MS is the disease that causes the turkey growers here to go nuts. They have 10-40 thousand turkeys indoors and if a turkey stops gaining weight for a month they lose a ton of money..

For most of us it is not a problem, being on a major waterfowl flyway means eradicating it is nearly impossible. We learn to live with it.

When the meat bird operations were outside pastured birds it was a bigger problem. Then it was strictly an economic disease more than a serious life threatening disease.

A hardy flock with good resistance is our best bet here. IMHO. Culling eliminates that. ( I know you have no choice).

As with any illness if the critter has one disease and a second hits it while weakened they can die. Most recover here. The state does not require chickens even be tested for it. They assume all small flocks have it.

 

[ChookFlyingToTheMoon]

You have to go through a 3rd party to have chickens on your own land? I am kind of confused. Sorry.

No, it's not my land. Do allotments only exist in England? They're just small plots of land you can rent cheaply for so much a year. They were made back in the 1950s so people could grow their own veg and meat, as practically everyone had no back garden. The allotments are very unorganised and unfair where I live but it's the only place I can have chickens so I make do

 

[duluthralphie]

No, it's not my land. Do allotments only exist in England? They're just small plots of land you can rent cheaply for so much a year. They were made back in the 1950s so people could grow their own veg and meat, as practically everyone had no back garden. The allotments are very unorganised and unfair where I live but it's the only place I can have chickens so I make do

The only allotments I know of here are for how many acres of wheat or corn or whatever you can plant and still get the sealing price for it. As far as I know they have pretty much went out the window. I know my Dad use to pay attention to it back in the 50's and 60's.

Here I have no controls over any of that stuff, but I live on a farm in an unorganized area.