Breeding for Disease Resistance?

[Ravynscroft]

Then fermented may be a wise choice for you... interesting that they were already gettijg it, but it has become popular lately...

I think you're on the right track, cull the symptom showers that don't recover quickly and breed forward the symptom free carriers... yes, they'll carry it, but if they never show symptoms then obviously they are resistant to the effects of the disease... sounds like what you want to bring forward...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My experiences were birds bought from private breeders came with more potential diseases and they were stressed by being relocated. I had sick birds too when I sourced them this way.

Chicks bought from the hatchery are healthier in my opinion, and can slowly get used to what is on your premises. No matter how much you try to sterilize the environment you can't really. Diseases come in on the wind and are carried by wild birds.

As mentioned many birds carry diseases but are immune to them. Stress can bring them out, so not crowding and providing an appropriate habit can go a long way to keep birds healthy. I find an adequate sized range can allow birds to obtain more natural food stuff and allows birds to balance their diet out to help prevent deficiencies.

I think you just got off to a bad start and need to try again. We cull sick birds as necessary and don't treat sick birds. Most things are limited to the individual. I keep quite a few birds and have very few health problems.

 

[shortgrass]

Interestingly enough, these chickens ate fermented feed before they came here.  I saw/smelled it myself...

I would personally switch them back to fermented feed. I took my flock off of FF for a few months this summer and they went downhill surprisingly fast. No illness, per se, but wow they got skinny and looked like they were starving; wouldn't eat their food, just picked out their favorite grains. They got so used to the microbes in the FF that when they stopped, they started getting sour crop and runny stools. All stopped when I switched back. I'm a big advocate of fermenting

My family has bred for resistance in our cattle for 3 generations, and now chickens are added to it. It's not really as complicated as its been made out to seem. It's just keeping the animals healthy, letting nature take its course with thecweak, and breeding the ones that make it through. It's like a human who has recovered from a pathogen, they will always be a carrier but may not ever get sick again. And then when mom passes those genes of resistance on tonher child(or egg in this case) the immunity passes to the next generation. Viola, bred resistance.

We do bring in new blood every couple of years though. With bulls, for instance, 2 new ones every two years, quarantined before release into the herd, and keep the 10 best heifer calves for breeding the next spring, so on so forth. You find a line that has proven to be resistant and breed only the healthiest ones.

That all said, no breeding operation can be run with possible contagions like soiled ground etc. Clean water, clean bedding, clean birds, clean food.

That's where the FF comes in. Everything has bacteria and microbes and parasites and pathogens. We just want the animal to be healthy enough to combat them all and come out on top, so I arm mine with the best immune response they have; their gut.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Something I haven't seen discussed is housing conditions. I know the OP said they free range. But what is the stocking density and ventilation like in the building?

 

[shortgrass]

Something I haven't seen discussed is housing conditions. I know the OP said they free range. But what is the stocking density and ventilation like in the building?

True. Knowing the whole scenario would help. Stress has been mentioned several times as a big component in the health of the birds, so overcrowding, fighting, etc can actually breed disease, so to speak.

What kind of enclosure are we looking at? How many birds, how much sq footage, what kind of feed, etc..your location could also give clues as to certain outbreaks or parasites that would be common in your area. Every little detail helps

 

[aart]

Something I haven't seen discussed is housing conditions. I know the OP said they free range. But what is the stocking density and ventilation like in the building?

True Dat^^^
Knowing climate/location can help too.
I think warmer and/or wetter parts of the country can have a harder time managing pests and disease.

 

[lazy gardener]

Interesting discussion, all. The issues faced by OP are a very sound reason for keeping a closed flock. However, bringing in new birds is not what started her problem. Her birds came with the problem, and new additions have succumbed to the initial disease. So, how to move forward? Either cull the entire flock. Thoroughly research the transmission process of the 2 diseases present, and practice what ever method necessary to rid the property of the microbes. Then start fresh. The chicks being brooded now could be a beginning for a new flock as long as they are kept separate from diseased area until that area is purged.

The second possibility is to move forward with existing stock, knowing that you should never allow any birds or hatching eggs to leave your property. This may be a difficult thing to do, as replacing stock is going to be problematic.

I agree that FF is the best thing you can do to improve the immunity of the birds you do have. Also look at housing, including space and any issues related to stress management.

 

[casportpony]

Without knowing what all the birds died from it's impossible to say that there are just two diseases.

50% of the adults died, three had respiratory issues (I think), and one had no symptoms.

Ten of the 13 chicks died, but only one was necropsied, so that's how the OP knows about the mycoplasma.

Several deaths were blamed on coccidiosis, but was it really coccidiosis, or was it coccidiosis and something else?

-Kathy

 

[mirandalola]

Lots of good advice here, thanks!

We live in NE Texas; daytime temps around 60 and nights around 40 lately, mostly sunny but some clouds and/or rain every day.

Coop is 8x8x8, with roosts built from branches. Ventilation is two windows, 2x2, along with smaller vents all along the roof. With only 7 birds in there right now, there is PLENTY of room.

Bedding is the leaves raked from our yard! They love to scratch through it! Trees in our yard are oak and sweet gum. There are also some grass clippings and hay thrown into the mix. When it starts to smell like a chicken coop, I rake up more leaves and throw it on. I've only had to do that once in the 2 weeks I've had chickens out there and that was probably because we didn't put a very thick layer of bedding down at first.

Food is chick feed in one feeder (their favorite), laying pellets in another (they nibble some occasionally), oyster shell in a third (never touched), and of course the bugs and grass from free-ranging, I throw out a scoopful of scratch grains daily as well as a handful or two of dried mealworms.

I let them out every morning about 2 hours after sunup.... I'd like to let them out earlier but with my pregnant body and my 4 kids all demanding breakfast first thing in the morning, the chickens have to wait.

I shut the door on them every night after dark; again, I'd like to do it earlier but family wants supper!

The chickens are battling lice (thankfully not a heavy infestation) and I know that weakens them, not to mention the stress of moving. I've been treating the lice with coconut oil the last few days but if I don't see improvement in the next few days I'll use an actual pesticide.

 

[cavemanrich]

The ouster shells will be touched when your chickens feel they need some extra calcium. With them free ranging, their calcium intake is from other natural things on the ground..
Congratulations on your family and soon to increase in size..