Oatmeal6
In the Brooder
- Dec 30, 2024
- 8
- 19
- 19
Hello,
New chicken owner here (about 6 months) and I have 6 gorgeous gals of different breeds
Earlier last week we spent two nights away from home for the holidays - girls have automatic door and we ask the neighbor just to check they go in at night.
The night we returned we checked the girls in their coop and noticed one had a strange eye that looked bubbly and dry. We examined the others and found one other gal had it too but worse. We isolated both chickens that night and did some research and believe it’s the MG (bubbly eye, mucus/pus). The other 4 are exhibiting no symptoms but obviously were in close contact for, at the very least, a few hours but could have been two days. I understand MG is not curable and spreads easily.
The sick chickens seem to be responding well to Deneguard (thx to this forum for helping us with that).
FINALLY my question. I have a vet appt on Thursday to get a blood test done to determine if it is mycoplasma because if it is we will close the flock. I’m only testing the sickest chicken and will assume the other also has it if it comes back positive(vets are expensive!) If she does have it, I am thinking of just returning her to the flock because I don’t see how the other girls (who appear healthy) are not carriers now and this will just need to be something I maintain with those 6 going forward. I don’t have space to safely have two separate chicken areas. I also have no desire to cull the sick ones because they are my little angels and I feel they probably all (6) have it now + eggs are safe to eat + we don’t breed/show/sell. Is this an okay thing to do? Does anyone have a success story of maintaining a flock with this condition?
Looking for advice on the responsible way to handle this and some positivity because I feel sad for the gals.
New chicken owner here (about 6 months) and I have 6 gorgeous gals of different breeds
Earlier last week we spent two nights away from home for the holidays - girls have automatic door and we ask the neighbor just to check they go in at night.
The night we returned we checked the girls in their coop and noticed one had a strange eye that looked bubbly and dry. We examined the others and found one other gal had it too but worse. We isolated both chickens that night and did some research and believe it’s the MG (bubbly eye, mucus/pus). The other 4 are exhibiting no symptoms but obviously were in close contact for, at the very least, a few hours but could have been two days. I understand MG is not curable and spreads easily.
The sick chickens seem to be responding well to Deneguard (thx to this forum for helping us with that).
FINALLY my question. I have a vet appt on Thursday to get a blood test done to determine if it is mycoplasma because if it is we will close the flock. I’m only testing the sickest chicken and will assume the other also has it if it comes back positive(vets are expensive!) If she does have it, I am thinking of just returning her to the flock because I don’t see how the other girls (who appear healthy) are not carriers now and this will just need to be something I maintain with those 6 going forward. I don’t have space to safely have two separate chicken areas. I also have no desire to cull the sick ones because they are my little angels and I feel they probably all (6) have it now + eggs are safe to eat + we don’t breed/show/sell. Is this an okay thing to do? Does anyone have a success story of maintaining a flock with this condition?
Looking for advice on the responsible way to handle this and some positivity because I feel sad for the gals.