Mycoplasma in chickens

Having lost one of my Exchequer Leghorn hens last week to this horrible disease I decided to do a bit of research.

I noticed that said hen had developed an abscess on the side of her face just under her eye, which had caused her eye to close completely, and was utterly blind on that side.  I left her for a few days to see if it would clear up of its own accord, but come Monday it hadn't got any better so sought veterinary help.

An injection of antibiotics was given and another appointment booked for three days after.  It was on the second visit that I was given the bad news.

'It's a highly contagious disease,' the vet said, 'one that if the hen gets over it, will cause her to be a carrier of the disease for the rest of her life and then obviously infect the rest of your flock.  The hen will not be as strong and fit and she was previously, considerably a poor doer, and therefore may not lay any eggs.  I think the only cause of treatment would be to euthanaise. Sorry!' he said.

Well I was stunned as you can imagine and came away from the vets with a doomed chicken in my cat basket.

I pondered the pros and cons all afternoon, until Hubby came home and we discussed it.  The outcome being that it would be no life for her if she was 'not quite right' for the rest of her days, and I didn't want to risk the health of the rest of the flock.  So unfortunately she was put down.

The disease is one that affects the respiratory tract and immune system, swollen sinuses are typical of the disease - see pic below.  It can also affect the kidneys.

Not very attractive, I think you'l agree.

The disease affects chickens, ducks, turkeys and wild birds, so take care if wild birds can get access to your drinkers, feeders etc as the disease can also last on these implements for a couple of hours too.  Stress i.e. moving birds into the flock, new housing, weather changes, changes in diet, is a major factor in this disease erupting.

Basic hygiene and welfare standards are paramount in the control of this disease.  Vaccination is possible, but only available in large doses, so would be expensive.  Veterinary treatment with antibiotics is possible, but with the outcome as described above.

A sad day, but everyone else (touching wood), is fine.

Stats today -
Sales = 1/2 dozen eggs £1.00
1 bunch of Daffodils £0.50
Expenses = nil
Eggs produced = 5

To chit or not to chit

Now having bought some seed potatoes from the Potato day (see my earlier post), I only had a week to chit them before I was planting the other, previously bought and chitted first early seed potatoes.  So it made me wonder if chitting really mattered.  What is chitting anyway?

Essentially chitting is sprouting, exposing the seed potato to light so that shoots develop, it is the start of growth for the seed potato.  Green shoots as opposed to white shoots are preferable as these are stronger, white shoots are very brittle.  This process gives the seed potato a head start, before going in the ground, it also means that potato crops will be ready earlier; it is in fact an ageing process.  Chits are the stems of the new plant, off of which your new crop of seed potatoes will grow.

To chit your seed potatoes they need to be laid out in a cool, well lit room, with their eyes, or small sprouts upper most, to let the chits grow strong and green.  Different varieties produce chits at different rates.

There is some school of thought that chitting is not necessary, in fact a warmer soil temperature will do more good, and therefore not age the potato prematurely.

Another idea is to rub off any more than two sprouts that appear, this then doesn't overwhelm or stress the tuber unnecessarily.  This tends to lead to less potatoes in number, but bigger tubers.

It's interesting to find out why these things are done, even if it's just to find out that that is the way it's done, end of story.  I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome of the chitted tubers versus the only a week old chitted tubers, yield and size.

Chitted tuber, planted with sprout facing upwards

Will keep you informed when we start to harvest as to yields etc.

Stats today -
Sales = nil
Expenses = nil
Eggs produced = 7

February 2014 stats

Stats for February 2014 are up now -

Sales -
13 dozen eggs = £22.00
3 bunches Daffodils = £1.50

Total = £23.50

Expenses -
Seed potatoes £9.45

Balance = £14.05

Expenses balance brought forward = £112.95
New Expenses balance to be paid off = £98.90

Well that mainly greenhouse expense balance is coming down, bit slow though.  Hopefully we can have an early and warm spring, get things growing and producing