Red Junglefowl - disease resistance

[Lamg]

What is your experience with Red Junglefowl disease resistance?

I have a disease - maybe a mareks disease for several years in my breeding. I found my Sumatra chicken and Leghorns to be hardy. but some fatty or breed-affected breeds that I added to the flock soon died.
American game fowl also has no problems.

I managed to get a rooster and two Red Junglefowl hens. Do you think they will face the same fate as weak breeds that are not resistant to that disease?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Do you have a diagnosis of Marek's disease, confirmation from a lab?

Any breed or line of poultry can be affected by Marek's disease. Some may fare better than others.
There's no way for anyone to give you a definitive answer as to whether your RJF will be more resistant.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

I’ve heard that Egyptian fayoumis are more resistant to Marek’s than other breeds. Seramas and silkies tend to be more susceptible to it. Not sure about RJF, though.

 

[Lamg]

I don't have much opportunity to test sick hens in the lab. Now I have a flock of natural breeds and their hybrids for several years who survived a pandemic that destroyed part of the flock.

The current survivors, and in fact their offspring, have no problem, neither in young chickens nor in old individuals. Only when I received from a friend a few diminutive ornamental breeds that are probably weakened by inbreeding, so they all gradually died. They shook their heads and walked like drunks.

Then after about a year I bought Amroks and they died with the same symptoms. Now I bought an RJF and I'm afraid they won't turn out the same way. It is interesting that the original flock has no problems, so I do not even need to solve the situation. They lay eggs, chickens grow and thrive absolutely well.

It would help if someone happened to have experience with RJF and has noticed how these have strong immunity.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Let us know how it goes. I hope they thrive and you have no issues.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

The more pure a RJF is, the less disease resistant it will be.

The more inbred a chicken is, the less disease resistant it is likely to be.

The more pure a RJF is in the US, the higher likely it is that it is very inbred.

You see where this is going.

The more I inbreed my RJF hybrids to tease out pure RJF traits, the less hardy they get. My most RJF-like brood cock made the weakest chicks when bred to his own line. When out-crossed his chicks were reasonably resilient.

 

[Ruby Law]

What is your experience with Red Junglefowl disease resistance?

I have a disease - maybe a mareks disease for several years in my breeding. I found my Sumatra chicken and Leghorns to be hardy. but some fatty or breed-affected breeds that I added to the flock soon died.
American game fowl also has no problems.

I managed to get a rooster and two Red Junglefowl hens. Do you think they will face the same fate as weak breeds that are not resistant to that disease?

How have your red jungle fowl done so far?

 

[Lamg]

The RJF male died. Propably of the cursed disease. The RJF hen is fine. Thid hen hatched two chicks, but unfortunately the hawk caught them. They were free with other poultry. Hope that the hen survives the winter and in the spring I will get her a new male. They seem to be quite hardy, if there is a large flock, natural selection will leave enough hardy individuals.

The rest of the original flock is 100% healthy.