Suspected Mycoplasma gallisepticum

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.
 
Welcome to BYC. It does sound like you may have MG in the flock. They all are probably now exposed and carriers. I would close the flock. You can call your state vet and ask how to get testing done in your state, and also if Denagard could affect the test results. There are a few labs around the country that may allow you to submit a culture swab, which they send to you. Zoologix is one I know of in California. Your local vet might be able to help with it, but you might save money talking with your state vet or getting testing on your own. Either way, the flock should be closed. But it would be good to know if you are dealing with MG or not.
 
Looking for advice on the responsible way to handle this and some positivity because I feel sad for the gals.
I don't have any experience with handling a MG flock to advise there.
However as far as being positive - It is sad that they may have MG but from what you've said above you are going to do your best to take care of them since you don't want to cull them. I think that's very commendable to take on that responsibility. Plus any experience you gain you can share with others that may need help in the future.
 
I don't have any experience with handling a MG flock to advise there.
However as far as being positive - It is sad that they may have MG but from what you've said above you are going to do your best to take care of them since you don't want to cull them. I think that's very commendable to take on that responsibility. Plus any experience you gain you can share with others that may need help in the future.
Thank you so much! Your last sentence especially was so nice to read and true
 
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.
You are a responsible chicken owner and have thoroughly done your homework. I wish you and your chickens the best.
:thumbsup
 
Yes, closing the flock is the responsible thing to do. Great advice from @Eggcessive above, hope it helps. Plenty of posters here maintain closed, MG positive/MG exposed flocks very successfully.

I'm not one of them. I'd cull, decontaminate, wait, then start over - but that was a decision I made and agreed to when I became NPIP certified. Different goals, different answers to the same problem.

The only irresponsible thing in an MG exposed flock is to keep it open (or worse, sell/trade/donate birds fom the flock). In the future, if you introduce new birds from hatchery, be sure to purchase them MG vaccinated, several hatcheries have that option. and if you have any equipment or clothing you use in your flock's area (coop shoes and gloves, ratty old jeans, garden wagon, shovel, etc) be certain not to wear/use those things where you might come in contact with other, healthy, flocks - whether that be a neighbor or the local farm store.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-infection-in-poultry
 
Yes, closing the flock is the responsible thing to do. Great advice from @Eggcessive above, hope it helps. Plenty of posters here maintain closed, MG positive/MG exposed flocks very successfully.

I'm not one of them. I'd cull, decontaminate, wait, then start over - but that was a decision I made and agreed to when I became NPIP certified. Different goals, different answers to the same problem.

The only irresponsible thing in an MG exposed flock is to keep it open (or worse, sell/trade/donate birds fom the flock). In the future, if you introduce new birds from hatchery, be sure to purchase them MG vaccinated, several hatcheries have that option. and if you have any equipment or clothing you use in your flock's area (coop shoes and gloves, ratty old jeans, garden wagon, shovel, etc) be certain not to wear/use those things where you might come in contact with other, healthy, flocks - whether that be a neighbor or the local farm store.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/mycoplasmosis/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-infection-in-poultry
Thank you for this resource I haven’t been on this site yet. I also appreciate the advice in your reply and totally understand there are different approaches to this depending on people’s life and needs.
If I may ask one follow up, it would be safe to assume my other four gals have MG even though there are no symptoms right? I mean they shared a coop so I see no way they aren’t exposed and therefore want to re-introduce the 2 sick ones to the coop once their symptoms subside. (All this assuming their results come back positive tomorrow)
 

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