Brahma Thread

[Cfmills]

Vicki, every group of chics I have raised I lost one or two to maerks.The last group I raised I put a baby turkey with and didn't lose a single chicken to maerks.Turkeys carry the form of maerks that some hatcherys use to vaccinate and the chics can acquire a natural immunity.Just thought you might be interested to know this.

 

[Vickis Girls]

Cfmills, so you don't vaccinate? So if one chick ends up with Mareks, the rest may not get it at all? Thanks.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

Thought I would share my project: Double laced silver Brahma. Have my F1s, Dark Brahma Roo over Barnvelder (high quality) Hens. Need a better dark roo for the F3/F4 crosses (if anyone wants to sell me one, or ship me some chicks/eggs or knows someone with good stock) Can't use Silver Laced as the Columbian gene messes with the double lace pattern. At first I was going to make Silver Barnvelders since there are none (or weren't at the time) in the US and they are most striking, but my first love has always been Brahma, and since there are others working on the Brahma Color Wheel I thought I would just go that rout. Nice thing about the F1 is that they have been auto sexing - like the Barnvelders, the males have a white breast and the females a gray breast and then there are the ones with white bibs that are usually male...
So far the F1s look like baby Dark Brahma.

 

[Cfmills]

I have never vaccinated for maerks.The way I understand it is by the chics eating around the turkey and it's droppings they will acquire a natural immunity the same as if you had given a vaccine.I didn't have any chics to show any symptoms of maerks after using this method.I hope you have good luck at avoiding this disease.

 

[big medicine]

Big Med,
A while back you said that one time you had introduced a chick that had recently been vaccinated for some disease, and it infected the entire flock, because it was a live vaccine, is that right?
Here's my question; I bought chicks vaccinated for Marecks, and now want to hatch a few eggs. If I don't have the stomach to vaccinate, will those chicks infect the hatched eggs? I guess my question really is, is Marecks a live vaccine also?
Thanks for any info at all.
Vicki



edit: this question is for any one who might have some info.

I just need to know. Thanks.

It was a either a nearly mature pullet, or hen, that I brought in that also brought on the Larangtracheitis outbreak.

The way I understand it Mareks is spread through the dander/dust shed from birds feather folicles, It is literally in the wind, so your chance of exposure probably does not vary that much either way.

That is a good question. I have brought a few nonvaccinated birds in,and had an old game hen who had brought of broods from nests she had hidden for several years, I do not remember any of these birds having any issues.

I have read of this turkey theory, and many years ago I did keep a few turkey as well. The only problem I recall was losing some turkey hens after they had been setting for a while on nests they had hidden away, (to what I figured was blackhead at the time.)

 

[big medicine]

Thought I would share my project: Double laced silver Brahma. Have my F1s, Dark Brahma Roo over Barnvelder (high quality) Hens. Need a better dark roo for the F3/F4 crosses (if anyone wants to sell me one, or ship me some chicks/eggs or knows someone with good stock) Can't use Silver Laced as the Columbian gene messes with the double lace pattern. At first I was going to make Silver Barnvelders since there are none (or weren't at the time) in the US and they are most striking, but my first love has always been Brahma, and since there are others working on the Brahma Color Wheel I thought I would just go that rout. Nice thing about the F1 is that they have been auto sexing - like the Barnvelders, the males have a white breast and the females a gray breast and then there are the ones with white bibs that are usually male...
So far the F1s look like baby Dark Brahma.

You sure on your expected breast color on the males ? Any dark Cornish male,(also double laced), I have ever seen have a very dark, black chest. Looking at the feathersite Barnvelder page, looks like they run that way as well, in either gold, or silver.

All the first generations early in my silver laced project were double laced, mostly silver, but some red based as well. The photos below show some early project birds. In the top they are still double laced, the bottom getting closer to single lacing. Both groups show strong Cornish influence. I assume these shots were taken after breeding season, judging to the condition of the hens, and having both colored hens in the same pen. I wish I would have had the foresight (and a decent camera) to have kept better visual record early on.

 

[Vickis Girls]

Big Med, So Mareks vaccine is not a live virus that could be spread to another chick, right?
Hey, thanks!

 

[Helen in the Desert]

The Barnvelder chicks start out with the white chest on the males and gray on the females. The males develop a mostly black chest with their first feathering while the females develop the double laced chest - check out the Barnvelder page and you will see. I have found this to be true though two breedings at 100% accuracy though the chicks with white bibs are a bit more dicey, but usually have ended up male.
I don't know if the double lacing is exactly the same genetic on dark Cornish; one of the more active breeders on the "Barnvelder Breeders Lets work together" thread has crossed the two to make better dual purpose birds and bread mostly back to Barnvelder standards, though I am not sure what kind of result she got with the auto sexing thing.

 

[Jheem13]

From what i understand brahmas are a large chicken, a gentle giant if you will. They take a while to grow/develop/feather. Now, i have 2 buff brahmas that by 3 weeks were fully feathered. Is it possible they are bantams? And is anyone up for guessing at gender by the pics?

 

[Tammy N]

From what i understand brahmas are a large chicken, a gentle giant if you will. They take a while to grow/develop/feather. Now, i have 2 buff brahmas that by 3 weeks were fully feathered. Is it possible they are bantams? And is anyone up for guessing at gender by the pics?

OK Now Do not Laugh its Late and i am tired .. But from what i can tell your Holding the Chickens the wrong way for me to be able to sex them for you.
Honestly i am just going by the combs here looks like Male on the Right and female on left but i am new to brahmas so do not take my word for this one But they look great