[janiejakemum]

Hi, me again

I posted just over a week ago about my dads hens that have Mycoplasms well just to update and ask a question really.

The hens have perked up a bit but are nowhere near what they used to be although, having said that they have started to moult so that wont help.

When dad took them to the vet he prescribed Tylan, dad asked about Baytril and the vet told him that the eggs couldnt EVER be eaten after giving Baytril so he went for the Tylan.  From what i have worked out this isn't the case and it appears this vet doesn't know a huge amount about poultry he was reading everything out of a book which is ok but dad described it as a magazine just like poultry keepers?

The vet also told dad that he wouldnt be able to keep any chickens clear from the MG now its "in his coop" even if he lost the 3 remaining hens.  I thought the bacteria could be killed off with Jeyes or something?

Should dad ring up and insist on Baytril or should he just wait until the moult is over?

The hens used to be quite lively and if you went in to see them with any treats they'd go mad but now, not much tempts them atall.  Dad also said that if he is late putting them to bed they just fall asleep wherever, before they used to go into the coop and perch themselves.  He said they are generally lethergic and show no real signs of "life".

What should he do?
Thanks for any help

[compostqueen]

Gosh sorry to hear all this.  Someone will be along shortly to sort you out with your problems

[Aunt Sally]

Tylan (tylosin) should be fine for Mycoplasma but make sure they stay on the antibiotic until all the symptoms have gone.  Go back and get more if necessary.

The vet is wrong about Baytril, you can eat the eggs about 2 weeks after the antibiotic is stopped.

Once a hen has mycoplasma it never completely gets rid of it and can relapse in times of stress (like moulting). So I'd make sure they stay on the Tylan while moulting.

It's not exactly a bacteria but very similar. (Smaller and with no cell wall, you may have looked at the structure of bacteria at school).  

I would hesitate to say you will not get rid of it even if you got rid of the birds you have.  I think a thorough clean with a strong Jayes fluid solution (10 times normal perhaps) before re-populating with hens should do the trick.  Not having a cell wall and not producing spores makes mycoplasma quite susceptible to dissinfectants.  

Good luck