Denim Deb Hay, hay, hay. Thank the Lord!

Well both of my broodies, Emily and Ashley made it thru the night. Emily is the worst. Both of her eyes remain crusted over. I used some warm water and a paper towel to try and bathe them enough to get rid of the crust. I also got a little bit more water in her. I'll check her again when I get home. I'm planning on being home early today. It's raining, so after Bible study, I'll go back to the farm, feed Stormy, then run some errands, then go back to the farm, feed Stormy and leave. I'll check the chickens as soon as I get back home. I may leave some hot water in a thermos. That way, I should have some nice, warm water to use as soon as I get home.

Other than that, I have housework and dishes to do, then head out w/my motorcycle group for dinner. If I have time, I'm making a chocolate cake. I'll ice it in the morning.
 
So am I. Emily is the first one I had that raised chicks and Ashley is my best broody. That's why they have names.

Today was a wet, miserable day. I managed to get my kitchen pretty clean. Ran the dishwasher and washed some stuff that doesn't go in there. I still have more to do, but I'm making progress.

Managed to run all the errands I needed. And while I have loose salt for the horses, I decided to get a mineral block as well. (Of course, I still haven't put the salt out for the horses. I keep forgetting to bring it down.) I got Stormy eating his dinner B4 I put it out. Licorice went right for it. When she was done, Misty went right for it. And, when Stormy was done eating, as soon as he realized it was there, he went right for it. So, I'd say they wanted it.

I also changed how some feed bins were for LF. They were screwed onto a fence. Problem being, when it rained, it was almost impossible to dump the water out. Plus, I much prefer to feed them inside when it rains. So I talked to her the other day. Found out that she wanted them in the run-in, but PT wouldn't feed the horses in there. I was going to take them down yesterday, but I needed a different bit for my driver-a star instead of a Philips. I didn't have any at the farm, but figured that hubby did. I was right. So, her horses will no longer be fed in the pouring rain. I think they'll be happy about that tomorrow.

Both Emily and Ashley are still hanging in there. Emily acted thirsty this evening, so it was easier to get water in her. Plus, one eye is now partially opened. Both of Ashley's eyes had crusted over, so used the warm water to bathe them. They're opened again. I haven't noticed any new sick ones, so I'm hoping this is on the way out.

I'm relaxing for just a bit. Then I'm going to make my cake and get a shower B4 heading out. At least it's not raining as heavily.
 
Didn't make my cake. I didn't have all the ingredients I needed, so I bought a mix while I was out. I'll make it in the morning. I should still have enough time to ice it B4 leaving.

The lady from the USDA called. They have some preliminary result. No flu, but he did have worms, so I'll be figuring out how to worm my flock B4 moving them. My guess is that w/all the ducks RU has-especially since they keep getting into my old field is that this is where they came from.

The bad news is, they suspect Mycoplasma gallisepticum. W/the research I've been doing, I'm thinking the same thing. But I've also been doing some more reading on it. Basically I have 2 choices, start all over, or accept that my flock now has it. At this point in time, I'm going to accept that they have it. Even if I culled the birds that I know were sick, there's no guarantee that the other birds don't have it. I haven't been able to determine yet if the exposure would make them a carrier.

And this is a quote I found on another forum. It gave a link, but the link no longer works.

Mycoplasma is present in 75% - 89% of ALL flocks, both commercial and private according to Dr. Scott Jones at the Baron Diagnostic Lab in Wisconsin. If you have bought birds from somewhere else or birds were previously raised on your property, it is highly likely that you have Mycoplasma in your birds. Most people never know it, as symptoms usually do not appear unless the flock is under stress. Common symptoms are decrease in egg production, also embyo and chick mortality (Mycoplasma can be transmitted via egg). Mycoplasma It is extremely hard to treat but Tiamulin (sold as Denagard) is a very effective antibiotic, especially against bacterial respiratory diseases. Denagard has the added advantage of having zero withdrawal period for eggs as it is unrelated to any antibiotic used in humans.
Click to expand...

I also need to get some Denegard to add to the water. From what I'm reading, that may just help keep others from getting it and treat any that do. Then, when we're ready to get our own place, I'd have my birds tested. From what I understand, there is a simple blood test that can be done that would determine whether or not a bird has it. Unless they all had it, I'd keep only those birds that tested clean and I'd send the rest to auction.
 
I plan to talk to the other person and give her my recommendation. Her birds right now are laying. When they stop laying, she should get rid of them. Then in the spring, get birds that we know don't have this. I've also decided what I'm going to do. I'm getting rid of the majority of the birds that I know were infected. There's only 3 I'm keeping. Angel, Emily and Ashley. But, I don't plan on getting chicks from them. I know that eventually I'll have to get rid of them as well which bothers me. They're special to me, Angel since she's my oldest bird, Emily since she was my first broody and Ashley is my best broody. The majority of the birds that were infected are Americanas, or Americana crosses. If I don't have enough Americana's for the breeding I was planning, I'll get some chicks in the spring. And, I will give it them the Denegard as needed to hopefully keep this from reoccurring. Hubby thinks I should wait since we don't know for sure. But after all the reading I've been doing and seeing how easily this is spread and how common it is, I think it's a wise idea for me to do so.

I've written down the info for KN on the Denegard. That way, if she wants it, she can get a bottle as well. Whether or not she wants me to ever care for her birds again is up to her. I guess that could be looked at as the bright side?

Since I don't have my truck, and KN will be near Lowes on Friday, I'm also going to write down a list of stuff I need that I can't carry in the jeep. She has a Pathfinder, and it will fit in there. She said she'd pick it up for me.

My cake is baked. I'm waiting for it to cool down so I can ice it. I have a volunteer meeting this morning and I thought it would be nice to have a cake for it. It's in the shape of a candy cane and I'll make red and white icing for it. Since they're calling for more rain today, I'll go and feed B4 my meeting, then feed Stormy after my meeting, then do some cleaning up of the feed stall. KN will be at the farm later, so I need to kill time until she gets there so I can give her my list and money.

If I have time when I get home (and if I'm up to it), I plan on doing some cleaning in the living room so I can put up my tree. I'll also need to do laundry. I was hoping I could hold off until tomorrow, but hubby doesn't have any more clean undies. If I hadn't had to leave so early on Monday, I would have done it then. Now I have to dry it in the dryer.
 
OK, I changed my mind. I started thinking about what the USDA lady said. Then I thought about what the guy in the quote said. Then I thought about the set up at the farm. Then I started to think about the fact that I don't really know for sure which all of my birds were sick. And I realized that the only thing I can really do is manage this. It is in my flock. There are ducks all over the farm and they're carriers. My birds are all recovering and starting to eat better. Even Emily is doing better. She must be able to find her food and water because she's really fighting me now when I try to bathe her eyes. And, she is pooping, so she has to have something in her system to be able to poop. So, what I need to do instead is find information on managing a flock w/MG. I'm wondering if I could even eventually get it out of the flock.
 
Like many, many germs/bacteria/etc that cause illness, much of it is actually living in the soil and can be 'not an issue' or raise up and bite us in the can. Since your post, I've been looking and researching the issues with this respiratory ailment and results, treatments, problems.

Seems you can manage the flock, just not sell carrier birds or hatching eggs. One reply even said you could dip the eggs from your birds in a Denagard solution before incubating (no details beside this) and the absorption of the chemical via the egg kept the chick from hatching as a carrier, supposedly. Appears the eggs are ok to eat, so your loss would be as sales of chicks, adults, or hatching eggs. Seems the testing is about $30 per bird for diagnostics. At that cost, per bird, unless they were super it wouldn't be something most would not do to decide if clean keep -- if carrier cull.

Sadly, these are things that "livestock farmers" have to deal with just going from farm to farm for biosecurity....clothes, shoes, hands can all carry certain pathogens and infect our own farms/animals. Not like loosing corn to coons!! Emotionally there is a huge toll, not just monetary.

I am so very sorry that this is where you are. But, looks like you could manage the current flock. I have read where some had successfully gotten new birds who were free and by using Denagard on a monthly basis had kept them clean.

This makes me think Shingles -- if you had chickenpox the virus in already in you. Stress can make it get ugly.
 
From what I've been reading, there are many people that have MG in their flock, and don't even realize it. I've heard of cases where people get birds from a "healthy" flock only to learn that the new birds are carriers. I could pick it up on my clothes by going to the auction, or to TSC, or another feed store, or having the farrier, vet, dentist, or even friends that own chickens come over! And I've read that even people that are NPIP certified don't necessarily test for MG and that even hatcheries don't always because it's so prevalent. So, I'll get the Denegard, and do the best I can. I'm not 100% sure, but I think if they're on that, it may even help to keep it from passing from the mother via the egg. I still plan on testing my birds when I finally get my own place. If I find that many of them are MG free, I'd keep them and get rid of the rest-unless it does cost $30.00 per bird! Thanks for the tip about the Denegard. I'll have to check into that. I will be replacing all of my birds over the course of the next few years, so hopefully this will get it out of my flock.

The rain has stopped and today is supposed to be colder and windy. I plan on catching up some on housework this morning, then working on the chicken area today. KN is going to be near Lowes on Friday, so I left her money and a list of stuff to pick up for me. I'm hoping I can have the first house (except for the roof) and pen done by then. Hubby is working on Saturday, so if she gets this stuff for me, I'd be able to put the roof on on Saturday! Then I would work on getting my stuff out of the feed stall up front and getting the pea gravel out as well. I plan on putting that down in front of my run-in because of all the mud.

If I'm able to get all of my stuff out of the feed stall on Saturday and put the solid pallets down in there like I'd planned, then hopefully PT can get the rest of her stuff out of my feed stall as well, if not on Saturday, then on Sunday. I cleaned it up the best I could yesterday. What a mess! There was both cat and rat poop in there. That got dumped in the corn field next to the farm. I didn't want it right in front of the stall since it was also mixed w/hay. I didn't think that would be healthy for the horses to eat. There is also stuff that doesn't belong to PT that I'm not sure who it belongs to. KN used to be down there. There's some of her stuff. CL used to be down there. There may be some of her stuff. It stinks in there, so I plan to one day scrub it all down w/Lysol and maybe paint it w/a sealer. Once I'm done w/that, it will be the nicest feed/tack stall on the farm.
 
My chickens are all recovering nicely. Their appetite is back up, but not egg production. So, I'm going to take this time to worm them. They have Wazine (sp?) at the feed store, so I'll get that tomorrow. Then, in 2 weeks, I'll use some paste horse wormer. I forget which I'm supposed to use, so I'll have to double check that.

It was colder and windy today. I just wish more of my area dried up! But, once I get more work done down there-including putting up a rain gutter!, and getting some grass growing near the run-in, that should help w/the mud. I was going to work on the fence for the chicken area, but it was just too wet. I did work some on my first chicken house! The legs are attached and part of the frame. I can't really do more until I move it out of the hay stall and put it where it belongs. I'm hoping I can do that tomorrow. But, I did cut some more of the frame as well as part of the side and the door.

The part that's going to be the hardest for me is cutting the supports for the roof. I need to cut them at an angle, but I'm not really sure how to figure that out. I might take some scrap pieces and see if I can figure it out. And I need to get a few things tomorrow, like hinges.

Also got some of my house clean. I took a bunch of dust collectors off my piano. They're things I don't really want and I'm tired of dusting them. This will help.
 
I have the equine dentist coming out this morning. Once he's gone, I'm working on my chicken house. They had been calling for rain on Tuesday. They've now changed the forecast. So, I'm going to be working to get all of them put together by Thursday. Then I can caulk and paint them and hopefully move my birds on Friday or Saturday! Once that's done, I'll be working on the fence and getting the hay I ordered and getting my tack shed moved. I'll be so glad when I have all of my stuff down back and have no need to go up front. I hate walking in my old field now. She doesn't clean it and it's getting nasty.
 
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