What exactly does breed for resistance mean?

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Amen to that!


If a bird recovers from a disease that has the potential to make it a carrier, I would cull, period. To me, there is no other option. I see folks on BYC all the time selling birds in BSA when they've recently had serious respiratory illness in their flock (which they've posted about), to me highly unethical unless they tell the buyer that the bird has the potential to make his/her current flock ill and then allow the buyer to make an informed decision. And you can bet that isn't something these sellers bring up to their buyers. Of course, that is a side issue to the original thread subject.

To reiterate, breeding for resistance does not mean you let birds become ill and recover and keep that bird in your flock. That doesn't make a resistant flock, only an immune-compromised one. It means you cull immediately (speaking only about contagious illness here).

Well, my question on this is .... wouldn't that be breeding for resistance? Say, for instance, the seller (in the BYC auctions) did have some illness and killed all the sick ones. Wouldn't the others be considered "resistant?" See, this is the part I don't understand.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Amen to that!


If a bird recovers from a disease that has the potential to make it a carrier, I would cull, period. To me, there is no other option. I see folks on BYC all the time selling birds in BSA when they've recently had serious respiratory illness in their flock (which they've posted about), to me highly unethical unless they tell the buyer that the bird has the potential to make his/her current flock ill and then allow the buyer to make an informed decision. And you can bet that isn't something these sellers bring up to their buyers. Of course, that is a side issue to the original thread subject.

To reiterate, breeding for resistance does not mean you let birds become ill and recover and keep that bird in your flock. That doesn't make a resistant flock, only an immune-compromised one. It means you cull immediately (speaking only about contagious illness here).

Well, my question on this is .... wouldn't that be breeding for resistance? Say, for instance, the seller (in the BYC auctions) did have some illness and killed all the sick ones. Wouldn't the others be considered "resistant?" See, this is the part I don't understand.

Possibly, Kathy. As long as the others never became symptomatic, you might be able to surmise that they were resistant to that particular virus/bacteria. BUT, you'd have to be sure they didn't have symptoms and recover. Those would, to me, be possible carriers, not resistant. If the bird contracted the disease and had symptoms, whether or not it recovered, that is not resistant as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't buy that bird, in other words.

 

[snowbird]

In my feeble mind "breeding fo resistance" has nothing to do with letting your fowl get sick and keep any that survive for breeding. Most of these disease if the fowl survive they will be carriers for life according to the way I have been taught. You would want to keep any that did not get sick. I have vaccinated forever it seems.

Laryngo - eye-nostril
Pox wing web
Mareks- Lower back of neck--- one time shot
Newcastle-Bronchitis I use the water treatment

If you do the four above you will be much happier with your fowl.

 

[speckledhen]

In my feeble mind "breeding fo resistance" has nothing to do with letting your fowl get sick and keep any that survive for breeding. Most of these disease if the fowl survive they will be carriers for life according to the way I have been taught. You would want to keep any that did not get sick....

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Well, my question on this is .... wouldn't that be breeding for resistance? Say, for instance, the seller (in the BYC auctions) did have some illness and killed all the sick ones. Wouldn't the others be considered "resistant?" See, this is the part I don't understand.

Possibly, Kathy. As long as the others never became symptomatic, you might be able to surmise that they were resistant to that particular virus/bacteria. BUT, you'd have to be sure they didn't have symptoms and recover. Those would, to me, be possible carriers, not resistant. If the bird contracted the disease and had symptoms, whether or not it recovered, that is not resistant as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't buy that bird, in other words.

THIS is exactly why I ask the question. Resistant or a carrier? How would you ever know, and still be safe?

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
But, it seems you would be vaccinating and revaccinating all the time, right? I just think it would sure take tons of time to do all this. I worry all the time, though. I worry some big outbreak will come along and kill all my birds.

I just don't know which way to go .... to vaccinate or not. ?????

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Possibly, Kathy. As long as the others never became symptomatic, you might be able to surmise that they were resistant to that particular virus/bacteria. BUT, you'd have to be sure they didn't have symptoms and recover. Those would, to me, be possible carriers, not resistant. If the bird contracted the disease and had symptoms, whether or not it recovered, that is not resistant as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't buy that bird, in other words.

THIS is exactly why I ask the question. Resistant or a carrier? How would you ever know, and still be safe?

I think what they are saying Kathy is that they/you should cull any that get sick while keep and breed any that do not.

If a bird gets sick and then recovers you will never know if it's now resistant and immune and will pass that on or if it is a carrier and will pass that on.

Fortunately I haven't had to deal with any sick birds so I don't know what I will do when/if I do. I'm leaning towards the cull option since I don't vaccinate.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Yes, I understand that part (kill the sick ones). The part I don't understand is the ones that do not get sick .... are they carriers or resistant (because they have obviously been exposed, right?)?

 

[ruth]

Of course, if anyone has any sickness in their flock or has had any prior to sales of chicks and/or hatching eggs, they should notify any potential buyer because even though the survivors may not have shown sign of the illness they could still be carriers in that they were exposed and now they are bringing it into your flock. Same way people are contaminating their entire flocks just by going to a show or even the feed store.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
SO, by going to a show or the feed store .... everyone is at risk. Go to the feed store, then sell chicks you hatched a couple weeks prior, and not knowingly you have sold potentially sick chicks. Correct?

This is sooooooo confusing to me. Resistance or immunization, such a tough decision!