Breeds and Disease Resistance

[Year of the Rooster]

I was reading the book The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow and while reading about breeding for resistance, it said that Leghorns and other light breeds are more resistant to pullorum than heavy breeds such as Rocks and Reds, but that Rhode Island Reds are more resistant to worms than Leghorns. I was just wondering what other breeds are more resistant/susceptible to certain diseases/parasites? I know that Sebrights are a breed that is more susceptible to Marek's than most others. Anyone know?

 

[flgardengirl]

My Key West chickens never get sick. Even when I had fowl pox running through my flocks the key west and thier offspring (which were born here and not previously exposed or vaccinated for it) never caught it.

 

[donrae]

Personally, I think the husbandry has much more to do with disease prevention/resistance than breed. Strong, healthy birds who have room to roam, a varied diet and a healthy social structure are much less likely to fall ill.

 

[Arielle]

Good husbandry is important for sure.

But so is good genes. I remember a great-uncle who bred racing pigeons; my understanding is that he culled any sick bird. Seems to me this had a number of values. Less time for another bird to catch the disease and suseptable birds were removed from the breeding pool. Apparently he was an extraordinary breeder. He always won enough races to pay for all his feed. Wish he was still around . . .

Will follow this thread and hope more contributors have breed details . . .

 

[WestKnollAmy]

My Cochins have been super strong and healthy. LF and bantam. Only if I bring in a few certain bloodlines have I lost any and I fear it is from them being kept in more "secure" conditions than I have ever allowed mine. I treat all of mine like chickens and they get dirt clods from my barnyard from 2 weeks old and up along with some grass attached.

My Marans can be strong but so far only one bloodline has been doing well for me. I have brought in a few other bloodlines that I am watching as they mature with some being hardy and others not making it past 2 months old. I figure I will stick with the Whitmore Farms birds since they have been great for me for several years.
My cuckoo Marans from hatcheries are mostly okay. I have other problems with them like crop problems that cause them to have to be culled.

I got some d'Uccle hatching eggs from 4 different breeders this year. My first year with d'Uccles and one breeders' birds all have lived while 2 of them didn't make it out of the brooder and one has faltered a bit.

My Araucanas have always been strong. None have ever gotten sick.
Certain Ameraucana bloodlines have been good while Easter Eggers from hatcheries were always hardy for me.
My Silkies have been okay. The ones I first got years ago from Fluff N Stuff Silkies are still around and have seen sick birds come and go but they have not ever gotten sick. Some other Silkies I have gotten from others have done well but I have hatched from some breeders and the chicks never make it out of the brooder or if they do then they do not live long.

My Wyandottes have been okay. The BLRW I raised this year from the Foley bloodline have done extremely well, while some SLW chicks have made it out of the brooder room from other breeders. My own SLW chicks I hatched and raised from my collection of birds have done well even mixed in with those that didn't.

I do tag my chicks to keep up with bloodlines.

I got some Partridge Rocks years ago and those girls are still here and kicking well from Meyer hatchery. I got more this year and all those are 4 months old now and have been fine.

I have many breeds in my free range flock and I try to keep going with the ones that do well for me. The Jersey Giants have been great but the Langshans breed I have ordered twice from 2 separate hatcheries and only have one pullet to show for it. I have a Langshans roo that was given to me several years ago that came to me sick, mostly just covered up in internal and external parasites. Once cleared up he has been great and his daughters out of the Jersey Giant hens have been really good and strong.

Delawares were a bust for me, from breeders and hatcheries. Brahmas have been good for me except for the light ones I hatched from a breeder. I have 2 left and they are not thrifty. They eat well and play but are not as big as the dark Brahmas I hatched at the same time nor as good as the ones I got from a hatchery. But I did lose some dark Brahmas I got from the hatchery.

Red sex links have always done well for me. I like to keep those in my free range flock.
Hatchery stock buff Orps have been good.

I am sure there are a few others but that is the list I can think of now.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Quote:
x2 I was thinking of not free ranging my new flock, just keep them in the coop and a large cover run, and close the flock after I get all the poultry I need. Now, I am thinking how are they going to build disease resistance, if they do not free range? But I had to cull all of my poultry to Coryza and Mycoplasma, so I think that there is a fine line to it. Free ranging is ok, but bringing in random birds from different farms/shows is not so ok, if you do not quarantine them first. Always buy new stock from trusted breeders. My two cents.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
I don't vaccinate any of my bird. I believe that if you are breeding for Disease Resistance you can't also be vaccinating for everything under the sun.

I also do not quarantine my bird when they come back from shows.

Chris

 

[Year of the Rooster]

See, that's what I'm talking about

So, are your Key West chickens an actual breed or are they mixed? I don't know anything about them.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Well, yes that too makes sense. But the fact that these different breeds we have came from all over the world makes you wonder what breeds are immune/susceptible to certain diseases. And knowing what diseases a certain breed is susceptible to is good to know so that a breeder can help raise breed resistance and cull those individuals who would not be acceptable.

 

[gumbii]

Quote:
this... a lot...


i have "friend" that i sold some of my chickens too... i dunno what he did, but they all died on him... said that they all got sick, one at a time... i haven't had one sick chicken since i took home this one sick pullet from a feedstore... i gave her some meds, and never saw a sneeze or anything ever again... all of their pens are open air and close to eachother as well... i even have a clean up crew of feral pigeons that i see under the pens every now and then... sparrows... nothing... my neighbors next door too... we haven't had a sick bird in forever...