Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Yellow House Farm]

I agree. Some breeds seem more prone to it.

Walt

This gene was discovered in Ancona chickens not too long ago. It is supposed to be a genetic immunity to Mareks: Rfp-Y. Here's a link to one of the studies: http://grcp.ucdavis.edu/publications/doc20/ch3.pdf go to page 19; the do a little write-up on it.

Now, I don't not go around saying that our Anconas are immune! I just store it in the back of my mind with crossed fingers. I'm very hesitant to say "breed" for almost anything. There's just too much that goes into one breed, and breeds have never been kept too pure for long such that strains by strain there's an admixture of this and another of that. If the Ancona breed as it was originally pulled out of Italian stock pulled this gene with it, does it retain it in all strains? Why? Does it pass it one to others. The do mention the possibility of other breeds with the immunity. Which would those be? How did they acquire it? Is it random mutation, or is it due to an environmental factor in common among certain breeds?

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Breed for this....cull for that...breed for this...cull for that...breed for this...cull for that. It swings back and forth like an old folk tune. It brings clarity into what we are doing, into why one chooses a breed and then sticks with them over time. It's about going deeper and deeper over time. Once one point is achieved there are ten more to attain.

I'm so glad I chose two breeds far removed from Standard quality--just enough to fill a life time: breed for this...cull for that....breed for this...cull for that...


PS: There is more than a little sarcasm in the above statement.....grrr.... I often pass by the White Rocks and consider our White Dorkings....grrrr......

 

[fowlman01]

Thank you all for your answers on this topic, I deeply appreciate it. I would be interested in knowing what breeds tend to be more susceptible - thanks for mentioning that Dutch are, what others would one be more likely to vaccinate? Is there a percentage loss above which vaccination is indicated? I know nothing is hard and fast with poultry, just looking for some guidance. The decisions you all have made along the way will help me and others to make them in a more informed state of mind.

Silkies are another breed that has problems with Mareks. This is a general statement and doesn't mean all Silkies have that problem. Along with breeds I will have to also say that I seems to be strain specific.

Walt

 

[TheNuttyChick]

Interesting? Are there any others more susceptible to outbreaks? Is there a connection to overbreeding/inbreeding?

 

[BGMatt]

So not vaccinating birds is acceptable? It almost seems like in my area you're almost blacklisted if you don't. Maybe it's just the show people? Maybe it's the breeders? I would think that breeding for resistance is better but if you're thinking about selling, nobody wants to buy eggs/chicks from you if they aren't vaccinated. ****** if you do, ****** if you don't?

I don't know very many serious breeders who DO vaccinate. Get away from backyard folk and newbies who don't know what they're doing and find some serious breeders. Personally I would rather birds not be vaccinated, as I've had more problems with birds from those flocks.

Interesting? Are there any others more susceptible to outbreaks? Is there a connection to overbreeding/inbreeding?

I must respectfully disagree with those who have said its a breed thing, in my experiences it's more of a line/strain thing, or perhaps I've been lucky and unlucky in different cases. I do think that an inbred line makes the animals more susceptible to all diseases than normal.

 

[TheNuttyChick]

That was my thinking exactly, I just don't think it would be good to just constantly be medicating birds instead of building up a resistance. I might be wrong, but that's just my philosophy.

I was thinking that maybe some line might be too inbred and has just grown weaker as a result, that's why I asked. More of a genetics problem than a breed problem.

Thank you for the advice!​

 

[AletaG]

Bob, I was taught that a hen retains the seed of the cockerel for up to 40 days post cover... If that's true, how can you know who the 'father' of a chick is if you rotate cockerels so often? I'm still trying to understand that.

Also, a lady I'm working with says that with her Icelandics, if she rotated them in and out like that, her cockerels would get depressed and not eat. Will this only work with certain breeds that aren't so 'bonded' to their mates? Because, I had considered having a 'barracks' for breeding season, where I would remove my breeding cockerels to for a few weeks prior, then place C. A with hen set A, and C. B with hen set B, then collect eggs for a while, then remove the males for a few weeks, and swap C.A to hen set B.... etc.

Then, I'm STILL trying to understand how you know which eggs belong to which hens when you've got 3 or 4 running about in the same pen? I suppose over time I'll 'know' whose eggs are whose... like with my banties right now it's obvious by egg shape and time of day. But, that first season, all new hens, no 'feel' for who's who...

Okay, that's enough to give someone a headache, I'm sure Good thing I've got at least til late Winter before all this is gotta be set in stone.

 

[Extra Java]

Search: "trapnesting" or "trap nest"

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/567357/the-trap-nesting-thread

 

[fowlman01]

Bob, I was taught that a hen retains the seed of the cockerel for up to 40 days post cover... If that's true, how can you know who the 'father' of a chick is if you rotate cockerels so often? I'm still trying to understand that.

Also, a lady I'm working with says that with her Icelandics, if she rotated them in and out like that, her cockerels would get depressed and not eat. Will this only work with certain breeds that aren't so 'bonded' to their mates? Because, I had considered having a 'barracks' for breeding season, where I would remove my breeding cockerels to for a few weeks prior, then place C. A with hen set A, and C. B with hen set B, then collect eggs for a while, then remove the males for a few weeks, and swap C.A to hen set B.... etc.

Then, I'm STILL trying to understand how you know which eggs belong to which hens when you've got 3 or 4 running about in the same pen? I suppose over time I'll 'know' whose eggs are whose... like with my banties right now it's obvious by egg shape and time of day. But, that first season, all new hens, no 'feel' for who's who...

Okay, that's enough to give someone a headache, I'm sure Good thing I've got at least til late Winter before all this is gotta be set in stone.

40 days seems a bit long to me. Where did you hear that? Icelandics are not like heritage chickens. One breed could act many different ways......it depends on the strain/line of that breed. If the breed is not pure bred, there is no way to know how it will act from farm to farm. There is no Icelandic Standard that I know of and certainly none here in the US.......so they all look different and probably all act different from flock to flock..with a few traits in common. I don't think she will find a skeleton next to the feed dish, but I don't know anything about them.

Walt

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Also, a lady I'm working with says that with her Icelandics, if she rotated them in and out like that, her cockerels would get depressed and not eat. Will this only work with certain breeds that aren't so 'bonded' to their mates? Because, I had considered having a 'barracks' for breeding season, where I would remove my breeding cockerels to for a few weeks prior, then place C. A with hen set A, and C. B with hen set B, then collect eggs for a while, then remove the males for a few weeks, and swap C.A to hen set B.... etc.

Chickens don't get depressed. Their brain is the size about one of their eyes, and, as I learned it, 80% of it's function is entangled in vision. They think with two little lobes each about the size of a piece of kosher salt, ergo: they don't love you, they don't love each other, and they don't get depressed. If a bird is "depressed" I'd say the diet is wrong, or they're unthrifty. Perhaps the environment is lacking something essential. Perhaps they need exercise. Some birds fail to thrive if held in close confinement.