Mycoplasma Mycoplasmosis MG MS (How bad is it??)

[equineli]

Recently new to chickens, I had a vet come and inspect the farm and all the chickens. She found them all to be in good health and my farm to be clean and in order. She also advised me on normal worming, parasites, chicken health, etc. Later that week, one of our favorites died suddenly. No symptoms, just dead. As recommended, I brought the carcass to UK for autopsy. A week later another died without any symptoms and again, I brought to UK as advised. Then wormed with safe guard as per vet, and the few people I asked said "some chickens just die." When autopsy results came in, they found gape worm, mycoplasma gallisepticum, mycoplasma synoviae. Since then I have heard widely varying opinions on mycoplasma. The vet said it was fairly common, NOT covered by NPIP testing, nothing to indicate eradication of the flock, can still eat eggs and meat. Others have said to cull everything, apply severe cleaning to everything including clothes and boots and the ground and cold wait period until attempting to start over. Double fencing is advised if attempting to start over because this could have come from the wild turkey that frequent my farm, or even visitors. I’m not showing my birds but I did want to NPIP and sell eggs and chickens. Many people sell MG birds and many people never know their birds have it. You would need to specifically order MG/MS tested negative birds to start fresh and even then the turkey visiting the farm could give it to them. There were never any symptoms in the birds so I have to assume the entire farm is infected, and have begun an aggressive antibiotic treatment plan. (Still won't cure it, but will stop further death.) I would feel bad selling sick birds, but once they are better, could I sell them? Try to hatch? Sell eggs for hatching? I could test every chicken on the farm for big$$$$$ but chances are they are all infected. They will always be a carrier, but most people don’t test and don’t know if they have a Mycoplasma+ bird/egg, but now assuming I do, what can I do?

 

[ChickNanny13]

No clue but following

 

[Eggcessive]

As your vet said mycoplasma is very common in poultry and especially in backyard flocks. Many do not know they have it unless a bird has a necropsy. Some of the common reproductive disorders such as salpingitis and egg yolk peritonitis are caused by bacteria that gets into the oviduct. Some of those bacteria can be mycoplasma, E.coli, pasteurella, and salmonella. So your hen could die of a reproductive disorder and never have symptoms of MG or MS, but the bacteria is around. Wild migrating birds are known carriers, and most hatcheries are not completely 100% MG free.

When you have one bird in the flock with mycoplasma, you should consider that every bird may test positive, but you may only see a symptomatic bird now and then. During periods of stress, such as molting, freezing winter weather, or moving, those may cause an outbreak.

NPIP basically tests for pullorum, but they can test for mycoplasma. It varies from state to state. Mycoplasma only lives for about 3 days on equipment, shoes, clothing, hair, etc., when all birds are gone, and that means ALL birds, all types of poultry. You could get new healthy baby chicks and the birds in your area or neighbor chickens could still affect your birds.

You would be safe to sell eggs, but not hatching eggs or birds. MG and MS can be passed through hatching eggs. There is always a risk when buying hatching eggs to introduce one of several diseases. So many people with MG or MS simply close their flocks to birds going out. You can manage an outbreak by culling sick birds, or separating and treating with the proper antibiotic. Tylan, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, and denagard are some that treat MG. MS is not easy to treat. Most antibiotics are hard to get without a vet, and frowned upon due to increasing antibiotic resistance.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are a sampling of articles about mycoplasma to read for more info:
https://ucanr.edu/sites/poultry/files/201395.pdf

https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

https://thepoultrysite.com/disease-...tion-m-g-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens

http://www.gapoultrylab.org/wp-cont...coplasma handout for Backyard Flocks 4-12.pdf

 

[ChickNanny13]

@Eggcessive Thank you for the links

 

[dawg53]

In addition to what Eggcessive stated, MG/MS only stays in the environment for 3 days. It would be best to cull remaining birds, disinfect coops, nest boxes, roosts ,feeders and waterers with either Oxine or even bleach water. Wait a couple weeks and then repopulate.
I recommend ordering chicks from a reputable hatchery and start anew.

The one issue that wasnt addressed were gapeworms. Gapeworms cause suffocation and are probably the direct cause of death in your birds. Of course mucus in the trachea due to the respiratory disease where the worms are located didnt help obviously.
The soil is contaminated with gapeworm eggs. The eggs will be picked up by new birds, excreted and become infective. The infected eggs are picked up again by birds and then birds become infected. Gapeworms have a direct and indirect lifecycle, meaning the infective eggs can be picked up by a chicken eating earthworms etc...
Here's a link; you'll have to worm birds once a month after they put their feet on soil.
https://poultrykeeper.com/respiratory-problems/gapeworm/

 

[equineli]

UPDATE
I contacted and have been working with the local NPIP personnel, USDA, etc. MS and MG are NOT required testing for NPIP in KY. That being said, since I followed directions and brought "suspicious death" to University of KY for necropsy and the birds were found + for MS/MG they served me with official quarantine paperwork. Nothing leaves here alive, nothing allowed in alive. I'm guessing this is why most backyard/NPIP breeders don't have a chicken vet or at least don't follow the protocol I read on the internet.

I'm under quarantine for three weeks (to be sure there is no antibiotic left in their systems,) at which time they are coming out to do testing. I can pay $38 per test per chicken or group, but if a single bird in the group is + all will be considered positive. (They also will test a few under their guidelines for determining a dirty flock.)

After the results return I can work with them to establish a "clean flock" and "dirty flock" separation and protocols, or I can depopulate. I have some rare birds paid in excess of $150 each, so MG/MS + or not they are not getting culled. I was told of the possibility of "breeding out" the MS/MG using Denagard but this is only an experimental option right now for the rare and expensive birds.

For the NPIP breeders I got (most) of my birds from, I had never asked if they tested MG/MS. (And no I didn't report them.) A sad lesson learned for a first time chicken owner/farmer. I believe I have spent about $16K since getting chicken fever in August. LOL. Hopefully the NPIP/USDA people will help me out because I am "doing the right thing".

Have a blessed holiday time and a wonderful new year. Be well everybody!

 

[Eggcessive]

It seems like a real pain that Kentucky cannot just give you necropsy results without getting all of the red tape out and getting the government involved. I guess that is why KY people don’t seek necropsies or testing very often. I don’t think this is the case in most states. Sorry about your birds. Hopefully, you can close your flock, and get the government out of your hair soon.

Mycoplasma is pretty much everywhere in backyard flocks according to some vets and publications. It doesn’t always produce illness, at least obvious illness, but when looking for something else, may turn up in testing. Thank you for following up your thread, but sorry about the hassle.

 

[Rammy]

I had that happen with my flock. I had one tested and it was positive for MG. Now my flock is closed. No ones allowed to come here without spraying off thier shoes, washing thier hands before and after leaving. I carry a spray bottle of Oxine in my vehicles if Im going to get feed and have dedicated shoes for that and ones for just the barn. I disinfect thier buckets once a week with Oxine or bleach.

 

[Kiki]

UPDATE
I contacted and have been working with the local NPIP personnel, USDA, etc. MS and MG are NOT required testing for NPIP in KY. That being said, since I followed directions and brought "suspicious death" to University of KY for necropsy and the birds were found + for MS/MG they served me with official quarantine paperwork. Nothing leaves here alive, nothing allowed in alive. I'm guessing this is why most backyard/NPIP breeders don't have a chicken vet or at least don't follow the protocol I read on the internet.

I'm under quarantine for three weeks (to be sure there is no antibiotic left in their systems,) at which time they are coming out to do testing. I can pay $38 per test per chicken or group, but if a single bird in the group is + all will be considered positive. (They also will test a few under their guidelines for determining a dirty flock.)

After the results return I can work with them to establish a "clean flock" and "dirty flock" separation and protocols, or I can depopulate. I have some rare birds paid in excess of $150 each, so MG/MS + or not they are not getting culled. I was told of the possibility of "breeding out" the MS/MG using Denagard but this is only an experimental option right now for the rare and expensive birds.

For the NPIP breeders I got (most) of my birds from, I had never asked if they tested MG/MS. (And no I didn't report them.) A sad lesson learned for a first time chicken owner/farmer. I believe I have spent about $16K since getting chicken fever in August. LOL. Hopefully the NPIP/USDA people will help me out because I am "doing the right thing".

Have a blessed holiday time and a wonderful new year. Be well everybody!

It can be bred out but it takes time.
You'd need to cull sick birds immediately moving forward to start the process of getting it out if your flock.