Breda Fowl thread

[boskelli1571]

So sorry you lost your blue baby.... - but now you have chicks. I love Doms, so personable - good luck, you'll ace it

 

[Sylvester017]

Thank you boskelli1571 for your kind thoughts.

I think chicken danz might've discovered the mystery cause of sudden Breda mortality rates in researching the avian leukosis virus. It can't survive without a living host like fleas, mites, lice, or thru mating. She's been attacking the problem and I will get another Blue Breda again probably next year since I had to scramble hurriedly to get Dom chicks as layers for the New Year.

Leukosis virus weakens a chicken to the point that they start losing weight, easily succumb to respiratory disease and cocci, and even vet medicine for these usually simple symptoms don't help. My vet tried to help my last surviving Blue girl but she just didn't respond to treatment and we gradually lost her to severe respiratory ailment. Leukosis attacks the organs forming cancerous lesions that can be mis-diagnosed for Marek's sometimes. My girl definitely had the leukosis symptoms and not the split-leg paralysis of Marek's symptoms. Necropsies can't always give positive results but blood tests on a live bird would give more positive results.

I spent so much on vet bills I didn't necropsy my dead birds since I don't breed birds. Comparing symptoms of Leukosis to Marek's definitely is a difference -- my two Breda girls had the 3 positive symptoms of leukosis with weight loss in spite of eating normal, respiratory issues that didn't respond to vet treatment, and severe cocci as juveniles. I think this leukosis information with proper action by breeders will help to fortify Breda and decrease their mortality issues by weeding out the unhealthy breeders that give off high-mortality offspring plus the obvious practice of keeping a clean environment to eliminate parasites. I'm wondering how far back this problem with Breda goes and if the leukosis virus got passed on to future generations with those first Breda imports which has been frustrating owner/breeders for at least a decade in the USA.
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/avian-leukosis/index.aspx

 

[boskelli1571]

Finally, I get to upload some pix! This is Gomez - from Chicken Danz. He is handsome and knows it! He rarely lets his brother Lurch out of the coop....

Not a great pic but these are the juvenile mottled Breda from RFR. Very robust birds, mellow too.

 

[Sylvester017]

My last Blue pullet got easier to pickup and carry around toward her end days. She ate and drank but got to the point I could feel a bony keelbone under her in spite of her eating her feed. She was about 6 months old and only weighed 1 lb 12 oz. She just wasn't gaining and wasted away to death. I never felt she was ever ready for integration into the main flock so I kept her isolated the entire 6 months and glad I did.

Leukosis is dreadful and infected birds really need to be euthanized. I wasn't aware that there was no cure for leukosis and wasted over $200 in vet bills to try to improve her worsening respiratory condition. I should've just spent the money to euthanize her instead as the leukosis article suggested.

Did you read the avian leukosis article in my previous post above? I think it will be very helpful information for Breda owners who may not be aware of how leukosis compromises immune systems and transfers thru mating. Some birds might survive past their juvenile months into adulthood but will still die young. Could be the culprit of why owners lose some of their Breda at 2 yrs or younger, dropping over dead suddenly. Using these birds as breeding stock should be eliminated if they are producing high mortality offspring. Gosh, wouldn't it be wonderful if leukosis is the bane causing high mortality in Breda and to know now that it can be virtually eliminated through using only healthy breeding birds? I know most owner/breeders like to use young mating birds but in this instance of eradicating infected birds it might be worth waiting to mate over 2 yr old birds to make certain the older birds show healthy signs before breeding them. What do you think?

 

[Sylvester017]

View attachment 1107714Finally, I get to upload some pix! This is Gomez - from Chicken Danz. He is handsome and knows it! He rarely lets his brother Lurch out of the coop....View attachment 1107725 Not a great pic but these are the juvenile mottled Breda from RFR. Very robust birds, mellow too.

Just to be on the safe side, monitor your breeding cocks/hens until they are over 2 yrs old to make sure they aren't hiding the leukosis virus to pass on to offspring. Keep the boys/girls isolated from each other until you see that they live past their 2-yr mark. Should be a good indication that they are not leukosis carriers if they don't drop over dead suddenly before age 2.

Gomez is gorgeous. Breda boys are so regal! LOVE the names you picked!

 

[boskelli1571]

My last Blue pullet got easier to pickup and carry around toward her end days. She ate and drank but got to the point I could feel a bony keelbone under her in spite of her eating her feed. She was about 6 months old and only weighed 1 lb 12 oz. She just wasn't gaining and wasted away to death. I never felt she was ever ready for integration into the main flock so I kept her isolated the entire 6 months and glad I did.

Leukosis is dreadful and infected birds really need to be euthanized. I wasn't aware that there was no cure for leukosis and wasted over $200 in vet bills to try to improve her worsening respiratory condition. I should've just spent the money to euthanize her instead as the leukosis article suggested.

Did you read the avian leukosis article in my previous post above? I think it will be very helpful information for Breda owners who may not be aware of how leukosis compromises immune systems and transfers thru mating. Some birds might survive past their juvenile months into adulthood but will still die young. Could be the culprit of why owners lose some of their Breda at 2 yrs or younger, dropping over dead suddenly. Using these birds as breeding stock should be eliminated if they are producing high mortality offspring. Gosh, wouldn't it be wonderful if leukosis is the bane causing high mortality in Breda and to know now that it can be virtually eliminated through using only healthy breeding birds? I know most owner/breeders like to use young mating birds but in this instance of eradicating infected birds it might be worth waiting to mate over 2 yr old birds to make certain the older birds show healthy signs before breeding them. What do you think?

What would be even better would be a cure! but yes, age seems to be a good milestone to judge health and vigor. I just wish we could get some more breeding stock from the Netherlands - I think it would make a huge difference with a big infusion of new genetic material.
I would hate to lose this breed forever due to health issues such as these.
I really must try to get a picture of Morticia - Gomezs' sister. I moved her out from the boys and put her in with her 'juvies'...she seems to have straightened them out quite nicely!
RFR had very kindly given me a 'slash' packing peanut', so I'm hopeful that I will be able to get some blues.....
Eggs from Chicken Danz due to hatch next weekend - fingers crossed! .
I'm currently reading up on the blue gene and mottled gene....I think I'm starting to 'get it'. It is so very fascinating...

 

[Sylvester017]

Fresh Breda breeding stock would be great. From what I understand, Breda are rare in the Netherlands too?

chickendanz said all the rules about color breeding goes out the window with Breda who seem to pop up surprises from the normal expected chicken rules. That was nice of RFR to give you a Splash packing peanut -- I assume a boy? I think she likes knowing it's going to a good home rather than a freezer!

Yes, keeping this fabulous bird alive is very worth it. I have enjoyed very much dealing with other Breda owners/breeders and their efforts to get good genes into their stock.

chickendanz downsized her birds in preparation for surgery so I won't be getting birds from her this year. I will try possibly next year again since she is very aware of the leukosis virus and has taken great steps in fine-tuning her breeders. Unfortunately she fine-tuned after I got my two Blue's from her so I will try again next year with her new revised stock.

I'm zoned for only 5 hens but with the new Dominique chicks I am now at 6 birds - yikes! Of course, two of my flock are old Silkies and not laying any more. I still want my Breda girls. DH loves the adorable Silkies but I don't care to deal w/ their broodiness since I don't need to hatch eggs. Once the Silkies are gone I will hopefully only have Breda and Doms left which are very similar to each other in temperaments and friendly personalities and definitely are better layers. Silkies are hardy little buggers and have outlasted every other breed we've had.

 

[boskelli1571]

Fresh Breda breeding stock would be great. From what I understand, Breda are rare in the Netherlands too?

chickendanz said all the rules about color breeding goes out the window with Breda who seem to pop up surprises from the normal expected chicken rules. That was nice of RFR to give you a Splash packing peanut -- I assume a boy? I think she likes knowing it's going to a good home rather than a freezer!

Yes, keeping this fabulous bird alive is very worth it. I have enjoyed very much dealing with other Breda owners/breeders and their efforts to get good genes into their stock.

chickendanz downsized her birds in preparation for surgery so I won't be getting birds from her this year. I will try possibly next year again since she is very aware of the leukosis virus and has taken great steps in fine-tuning her breeders. Unfortunately she fine-tuned after I got my two Blue's from her so I will try again next year with her new revised stock.

I'm zoned for only 5 hens but with the new Dominique chicks I am now at 6 birds - yikes! Of course, two of my flock are old Silkies and not laying any more. I still want my Breda girls. DH loves the adorable Silkies but I don't care to deal w/ their broodiness since I don't need to hatch eggs. Once the Silkies are gone I will hopefully only have Breda and Doms left which are very similar to each other in temperaments and friendly personalities and definitely are better layers. Silkies are hardy little buggers and have outlasted every other breed we've had.

Yes, I think they are rare there too..next year I want to get some stock from Dutch Connection. Since they really do have a Dutch connection I will ask about the rarity of Bredas in their homeland. Of course, I need more chickens like a hole in the head - I'm up to around 50ish in total, only 17 are Bredas tho'....
Some of my layer hens are getting up there in age, I have 4 that are 7 years, 3 that are 5 years. I keep saying they won't last another year, but here they are going strong.
Hope all goes well for Danzs' surgery - do you know when?
Haha! Hope the neighbors can't count...if they say anything tell them they must have counted one twice!!
I'm fortunate my partner doesn't count the chickens....and we have no close neighbors, so the roosters and barnyard noise don't bother anyone.

 

[Sophocles]

Bredas are very rare in the Netherlands, too.
Wageningen University keeps a list of Dutch Heritage breeds and estimates there's about ~100 adult Breda hens that are used for breeding this year. It's a rough estimate so take it with a grain of salt and it excludes animals kept by hobbyists without breeding ambitions, but just to give you a sense of the scale.
There's a decent population in Germany, too.

None of the breeders I've spoken with report the frailty and poor health reported in this thread, but it seems logical that when importing from such a small genepool you can get unlucky.
That's a lovely roo, boskelli.

 

[boskelli1571]

Bredas are very rare in the Netherlands, too.
Wageningen University keeps a list of Dutch Heritage breeds and estimates there's about ~100 adult Breda hens that are used for breeding this year. It's a rough estimate so take it with a grain of salt and it excludes animals kept by hobbyists without breeding ambitions, but just to give you a sense of the scale.
There's a decent population in Germany, too.

None of the breeders I've spoken with report the frailty and poor health reported in this thread, but it seems logical that when importing from such a small genepool you can get unlucky.
That's a lovely roo, boskelli.

Thank you! This information is valuable to all of us here. So far I really haven't had any problems with the mottled Breda. My problem seems to be limited to Black/Blues. As you noted, other folks have problems too.
I will tell Gomez how beautiful he is, but I suspect he already knows.....
Are you breeding Bredas' also?