What exactly does breed for resistance mean?

[birdsNbeesNseeds]

Breeding for resistance should be done responsibly and with an idea of which diseases can (or should) be bred with a resistance towards. Hardy birds should also be kept in good health to adequately gauge thier response to the pathogen, ideally.

Just as an example-

I think Mareks and endemic/mild Newcastle (NOT Exotic) could be bred for resistance.

Pullorum-Typhoid should not be allowed in a flock.

Although we are still learning, one good information on this subject is in The Chicken Health Handbook"

and if you really want to get technical, on the web, such as looking at potential projects-

http://www.poultryhub.org/index.php/Research/Chicken_Image

http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/newcastle/cris.htm

 

[gootziecat]

Purdue will do the MG test for FREE!! Just ship them your eggs IF you think your flock is healthy they will tell you within 2 weeks.

Lildinkem, do you have the Purdue address for this testing? Thanks.​

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
I know of people that swear that you can eliminate Mareks from your flock by having free ranging Turkeys around your poultry flock.

 

[speckledhen]

Birds I have sold to others have been tested through their NPIP program, even for MG. They all tested clean. I personally am not NPIP nor do I plan to be.

There are too many cases here on BYC of folks buying birds, even quarantining them, noticing no symptoms, then when the bird is introduced to the flock, the flock becomes ill--that tells me a carrier does not necessarily need to be symptomatic to pass on certain diseases.

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
Now that I have good breeding stock, I raise anywhere from 40 to 70 of each variety of Orps. And that is only cause I only use the best type. IF I beed everything that laid an egg I could easily double those numbers, Many Top Exhibition breeders will hatch out hundreds. I know the guy who sold me my Buffs last fall hatched out around 1,500. I can't ever see doing that many. 150 is good to work with, 75 is closer to what I raise. Can not imagie 500 or 1,000 to hatch and raise.

 

[()relics]

Quote:
May not mean the bird is a carrier...more likely it has a different strain of a disease/parasite/infection than their "new flock", which hasn't yet been exposed to and thus hasn't built a resistance to the specific strain and then start to become "sick" as a result.. The bird may not be sicker or less hardy but it has area specific immunities which may not be your area specific.....Another reason for a closed flock.

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
Lildinkem, do you have the Purdue address for this testing? Thanks.

Forgot to mention this program is set up by the Indiana Poultry Asscoiation.
Far as I know there is only one test for MG using eggs. T-12. Here is the guy incharge of T-12 program that tests for MG. Hope you all take advantage
Kyle Kohlhagen (765) 494-8517

Like to ad for those who fear Showing birds. When I took mine to our State Fair, Dr. Combs, the Head Vet for the State of Indiana was there to check you in before you even step one foot into the AG building that show takes place.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
I think Marek's is a prime example of this. Whether vaccinated or not, a chicken can have Marek's, show absolutely no symptoms, yet be a carrier. Some chickens develop immunity as chicks to diseases that are in the flock and never show symptoms, but they can still be carriers. I think the true way to quarantine is to keep all the new chickens except one totally separate from your flock. Set up a totally different quarantine area and put one chicken from the new group with one chicken from your existing flock. Either flock may have something that can infect the other.

Snowbird, Marek's vaccination is turkey Marek's. It does not stop the chicken from getting chicken Marek's. It stops the chicken from getting the lesions that cause the damage. Even vaccinated chickens can get Marek's and can be carriers. If your turkeys have turkey Marek's and if that gets passed on to the chicks before they exhibit the problems of chicken Marek's, keeping turkeys might help your chickens not show the symptoms of Marek's, but they can still have chicken Marek's and be carriers. It will not eliminate the disease from your flock, just the symptoms.

I have not read this whole thread, but I don't just eliminate the ones that get sick. I also remove the ones that get injured. Usually not immediately, but when it is time to remove the excess, they are very high on that excess list. Maybe they were in a situation that any chicken would have been injured, but maybe they are more prone to injury for whatever reason.

 

[ruth]

Quote:
300 +/- chickens running with ducks, guineas, geese, peafowl, dogs and cats. Never had a "sick" bird. Sick defined as showing any symptoms of any disease. I also don't worm them because I eat their eggs. I've never seen a roundworm, or any worms, in their poop. If I did see worms, or any evidence of a worm infestation, I would worm them then and not eat the eggs for a long period of time but since my roosters weigh between 10-15 pounds I don't think they have a worm problem.

As I posted earlier, all that medication and poison and chemicals goes into the meat and eggs and the only reason I got chickens in the first place was to eat healthier meat and eggs.

 

[snowbird]

I am only relaying what I find successful for myself and have hatched and grown out between 500-1500 chick each year for over 40 year and will not change because of BYC articles. Come to my place and you will see no sick fowl. I am only writing about what I know as a fact.