LLV-Does anyone has it in their flock?

[EweSheep]

Does anyone has this awful virus disease in their flock????

One of my Spitzhauben pullet has this disease and wondered how common in certain breeds you had ran into? I will get my other Spitz girl tested which she came from Ideal Hatchery to see if she is tested positive for LLV.

All for the more reason we need to import new birds from elsewhere instead of having so much inbreeding going on that the flock would be nearly 100 percent carriers. Scary, isn't it?

I am concerned about our Welsummers, Marans and Barnvelders and all the other rare breeds we have in this country might have this disease.

Anyone?

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I can't find what that is . . . could you attach a link to a description of it?

 

[pips&peeps]

Do you mean lymphoid leukosis?

I have heard it usually appears from excessive inbreeding and usually is passed to offspring, but does spread laterally.

Old timers say to cross breed the birds to get new genetics and raise all chicks on wire.

 

[Holly O]

My findings on the disease.

Lymphoid Leukosis

Characteristically, lymphoid leukosis is a disease of adult chickens; however, the disease appears to be increasing in importance for turkeys and game birds. Although the virus of lymphoid leukosis can produce various responses (blood, bone, lymph), the lymphoid tumor response is the most common.

The disease is transmitted in a variety of ways. The causative viral agent is passed out of the body of infected birds via eggs and feces. The virus may be transmitted mechanically from infected birds to susceptibles by blood-sucking parasites or by man in such procedures as fowl pox vaccination.

Lymphoid leukosis characteristically produces lymphoid tumors, particularly in the liver and spleen. The tumors may also affect other visceral organs such as ovary and lungs. Affected birds may die without preliminary symptoms, but the disease usually is chronic in nature and affected birds show loss of appetite, progressive emaciation and diarrhea. Clinically affected birds invariably die. Losses due to the disease are most severe shortly after onset of egg production, but losses will continue for as long as the flock is retained. Total loss may approach twenty percent during the life of a flock.

Clinical diagnosis of lymphoid leukosis is based upon flock history and disease manifestations. The lymphoid disease cannot be readily distinguished from the visceral response to Marek's disease; however, there are some features that aid in differential diagnosis.

There is no treatment for lymphoid leukosis. Although the disease cannot be prevented completely, there are certain steps that can be taken to help control the level of infection within a flock. Some steps are:

* Buy resistant strains of birds since genetic resistance is a deterrent,
* Brood in isolation and do not mix birds of different ages, especially through six weeks of age,
* Keep the incubator clean and disinfected,
* Control blood-sucking parasites,
* Good care, limiting stress, and adequate ration will be of benefit.

 

[EweSheep]

pips&peeps :

Do you mean lymphoid leukosis?

I have heard it usually appears from excessive inbreeding and usually is passed to offspring, but does spread laterally.

Old timers say to cross breed the birds to get new genetics and raise all chicks on wire.

IF we can get some new blood in the Spitzhauben lines. It sucks big time! However in the meantime, we can enjoy the eye candy but it would really suck in trying to improve the breed.

Besides raising birds on wire is not going to be easy since the two Spitz have access to a run and coop with the others.

Would it be a good deal to inform buyers that the possible chicks from Ideal might have this?

I am not alone in this problem the breed is having.​

 

[Andora]

I had birds with this disease in my old flock. (I got rid of them all, disinfected and started fresh. They also had Coryza and MG.) The sick birds came from a lying farmer. The tumors were horrible--I have a picture of my bantam BLRW's tumor if you want to see it. I sent her for a necropsy, so I got the full details on the conditions she had.

I have two Spitzhaubens that came from Meyer hatchery in my new flock. They seem perfectly healthy so far.

 

[EweSheep]

Never had Corzya or MG yet.......I hope NOT! Andora, what kind of birds came down with it?

Scaring me a bit there and if they are harmless, then I should not worry about keeping them as pets if ALL of them have LLV. Otherwise I will have to start all over, disinfect and test every Spitz there is LOL!

Once I get the money for the tests for the Ideal hatchery Spitz chicks which they are a month old and not exposed to the other birds, they will be the next to be tested. It's awful and the time, money and efforts getting the best birds would be a BIG set back for breeders. Heck I started into this breed last year.

Beautiful birds!

 

[allen wranch]

Robin,
You beat me to it !

Robin found out about the disease through me. My entire Spitzhauben flock has it. Two of my birds have already died of the disease which was confirmed by necropsy and blood tests.

LLV spread thru the mom will not affect other breeds unless they are in the same hatch as the affected birds. If the birds have the "J" LLV virus, it can spread through the egg as well as horizontally to other birds through feces, contact, etc. My Spitz do not have the "J" virus.

If a chicken has LLV, it may develop lymphoid tumors and die. There is no cure. If it is only a carrier, it could live a long life and never develop tumors. A lot of my Spitz are pushing seven years old and are fine and healthy.

Do your Spitzhaubens have LLV ? Probably, but you won't know unless blood tests are performed or a necropsy reveals the tumors. I said probably because LLV almost always shows up in "fancy" breeds with a limited gene pool that have been bred within that gene pool for several years (per Texas A&M vet).

Besides reading, most of my information came from extensive conversations with an avian disease expert (vet) who works exclusively with chickens. He has written several articles for books and magazines.

Where do Spitz breeders go from here is another matter. I cannot with a clear conscience sell any birds or eggs knowing my Spitz are LLV carriers. However, if all Spitz flocks have it, we are not exposing other Spitz breeders to the disease.

Having your birds tested for the disease is up to you, but I would want to know...

You do not have to test all the birds. I tested all my roosters first and they were all positive. Then I tested any other Spitz that needed to go to the vet or died. You could also test a sample of your oldest and youngest hens.

This was quite a heartache for me as I have been working with my Spitz for over six years trying to improve the breed within the US.

 

[EweSheep]

I know, its two steps forward and five steps backwards!

My next plan, money allowed, is to test my Ideal Hatchery birds and the new chicks. Even they are not the BEST of Spitz type like my positive one but neverthanless, it may be the only thing we can work with and cull hard all over again.

Remember I dont think its necessarly a BAD thing...its disappointing to say at least!

 

[Andora]

The bird I had with this disease was a blue laced red wyandotte bantam. This is the tumor she had externally. (Necropsy revealed more internally.) She was young, not even to the point of lay.

Crap, Smugmug is down. I'll come back and post the picture as soon as it's working again...

Our animal diagnostic lab with the university here offers necropsy and testing for $10 each. To test for this disease do you need a blood sample? (Assuming the bird is still alive!) My two spitz look extremely healthy so far. I would freak out if I found this in my new flock. I am extremely paranoid about biosecurity now, after losing all my birds one by one in my last flock. I thought I would be safe with birds from a big name hatchery!

How does this disease factor into being NPIP certified? If a certified clean hatchery sells Spitzhauben, that means they must not have the disease, right?

I discussed LLV with the head of my university's avian research department last year after my birds were diagnosed. He told me that it is passed horizontally and vertically--through eggs mainly and also through poop. It can live in the soil for an extended amount of time and survive freezing, as can many other avian viruses, but it can be reduced by liming an area and by ammonia or bleach (certainly not both, lol) in your coops and chicken supplies. He also told me that they are conducting research right now (well, this was last year) to determine if the disease can be passed to mammals, which I found alarming.