# Mycoplasma



## Sarah10Chickens (Sep 2, 2013)

Hi, 8 days ago we got 10 chickens from a breeder. We noticed one sounded odd. Next day we were worried so did some research & discovered that the symptoms all sound like mycoplasma. I ordered some medication that says clears this, it's colloidal silver.


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## Sarah10Chickens (Sep 2, 2013)

Sorry hadn't finished. Have been giving this for 4 days now. One chicken seems with drawn, eats a little & drinks a little but never in the morning. I have contacted the breeder we got them off & he has not replied! I contacted his wife, no reply! But I dnt want to take them back he will cull them & I'm attached already! But where do I stand? I paid alot of money for them. Also does anyone have any suggestions to help the birds? I really hope medication works! Thanks in advance


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## chickflick (Sep 23, 2012)

Was it a Craig's List ad? If so you can report him. I guess if he isn't that far away, I would go to his house and talk face to face with him.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

That is the risk you take when you don't ask for references or look into the breeder. You will just have to chalk this one up to lesson learned. Also even if you reported them nothing will happen. You bought that at your own risk, unless he gave you paperwork with a guarantee.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Sarah10Chickens said:


> Hi, 8 days ago we got 10 chickens from a breeder. We noticed one sounded odd. Next day we were worried so did some research & discovered that the symptoms all sound like mycoplasma. I ordered some medication that says clears this, it's colloidal silver.


There are people who incubate chicks on a regular basis for sale to make some money on the side...and these are not breeders. They are just people who have chickens, incubate the eggs and sell chicks and POL birds.

A breeder is someone who breeds a certain breed or breeds and develops the breed characteristics. In most cases, these are people who are not going to sell someone sick birds, nor do they want anyone to know that birds they sold came from sick stock or had an illness that generated from their place. They take pride in their birds and stand behind them all the way.

I have a feeling you bought your birds from a chick mill and it sounds like standard chick mill genetics. I made that same mistake once but never again...learn from it and go on.

When it comes to chickens you can never really be sure of the illness unless you get some testing done, either on the live birds or a necropsy of a dead bird. On the basis of that, you can determine what is the best course of action.

But, if you are not going to a vet, you can either boost their immune systems and see what happens, who fights it off, who is suffering(give them the hand of mercy) and who dies from it... then start concentrating on healthy immune systems in your flock as being the basis of your husbandry methods.

Or, you can throw various antibiotic concoctions down their gullets,hoping one of them takes care of the problem and measure the outcome. It could solve the problem and you may never know what illness it really was. Until the next time you have an illness in your flock and it starts all over again.


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## Sarah10Chickens (Sep 2, 2013)

We decided what breeds we wanted & looked into where we could get them from, we only found one place that sold cream legbar at present which we wanted as the eggs are amazing & also they sold the other breeds we wanted. They are more a hobby/pets, eggs a bonus but a great bonus! They are on selling sites here in England called omlet, no bad reviews etc. & not heard Craig's list will look into it thank you. But doubtful. when went there they handled the birds what I thought was roughly but I'm such a animal person they prob had to like that! They were in small pens! But he said they were the orders that were ready to go.
If the cream legbar, which seems to be suffering, gets worse i will take her to the vets, she is drinking & eating, I have seen but not a lot, (but i work so spend few hours with & she seems worse in the morning than evening )she is hunched, tail & wings look droopy, can pick her up easy when couldn't few days ago, puts up more fight in evening. I heard so many mixed reviews on the antibiotic Tylan 200 they give them, even it's banned in some places. 
If I don't hear back from the breeder, even advice or apologies would be nice, there is an option to leave feedback on 2 sites so I shall, as if he didn't know his birds were unhealthy I'm sure he would of been in contact by now. He lives over a 2 hour drive away. So it would be a long journey & especially as we don't want to take the girls back. Thanks for your replies. I just feel so bad for the chickens, really hope we don't loose any. Bad start to our chicken keeping!


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## Sarah10Chickens (Sep 2, 2013)

& yes I will never ever again but from a site as 'it looks lovely & nice & gorgeous chickens!' Was different in real life! & if they do pull through ehich I really hope, they r carriers forever & it can come back! But I really can't let them be culled! Thanks again


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## adorson (Jul 19, 2012)

I hope you can get them better and good for you to still want to keep them, try to get them healthy and give them a good life!


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## Sarah10Chickens (Sep 2, 2013)

adorson said:


> I hope you can get them better and good for you to still want to keep them, try to get them healthy and give them a good life!


Thank you  
We are trying our best & hope it pays off. Then we can relax & not worry about them! 
Thanks again that did make me smile


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## adorson (Jul 19, 2012)

I made the same mistake when I first started with chickens and this was a good breeder who got good money for their chickens. Every so often it will rear it's ugly head again and you will see symptoms especially if they get stressed or their immune system comes down from something else like molting or worms. I run antibiotics as needed but more importantly is to try to keep their own immune system up to prevent it as much as possible. I give mine supplements daily.


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## Sarah10Chickens (Sep 2, 2013)

The breeder has been in contact & offered to swap them all but I dnt want that so she is giving us antibiotics. Sadly we lost a cream legbar this morning.


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## Sarah10Chickens (Sep 2, 2013)

& yes adorson maybe the move stressed them as rhe one that died was the least tame so maybe she was a bit more stressed than the others. The others seem ok, couple of thier eyes r bit watery/blubbery but no where near as bad as the cream legbar. Fingers crossed they all make it now! Thanks


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Wait, you're in the UK? Since vets are much more willing to treat chickens that would be my first stop for a definitive diagnosis and treatment. 

Chances are you have a problem in the flock now that will prevent you from selling outside of the flock. And not be able to bring more in due to the chronic nature of the illness.


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## Sarah10Chickens (Sep 2, 2013)

If you can find a vet that knows about them. Vets will see them & just use google basically. The breeder we got them from has spoken to her vet & sending antibiotics & gape wormer just incase. Yes I know it will be in flock, which is highly annoying as we planned to breed just once next year.


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