What exactly does breed for resistance mean?

[gogoalie]

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Resistance does mean the bird gets sick, doesn't die from the sickness, & pass on the genes that they carry, that made them survive in the first place...

 

[ruth]

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Yes, I understand that part (kill the sick ones). The part I don't understand is the ones that do not get sick .... are they carriers or resistant (because they have obviously been exposed, right?)?

In my way of looking at it - they could be either. I don't vaccinate because I have over 300 different birds of all ages, breeds, and sizes running around. I would be spending every waking moment vaccinating. DH and I are at the feed store daily. From what I've read, people track home diseases from there, hence they are the carriers. I can't possibly vaccinate my flocks from every potential "bug" that might get tracked back to the farm so my flocks and herds need to develop as much natural immunity as possible. If not, I guess they are goners if a real disease hits.

But, as I posted earlier, I already know something is different about my animals. My uncle & cousin raise meat goats. They are now having to use a really high potency chemical wormer, every month now just to keep them alive. I don't even want to think about what's in the meat and people buy his goats to eat. But I've never wormed mine. The difference is most likely that his are kept in a fenced area and mine are roaming the woods and pastures at will. To me, I'm breeding for natural resistance.

 

[kathyinmo]

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Resistance does mean the bird gets sick, doesn't die from the sickness, & pass on the genes that they carry, that made them survive in the first place...

THAT was my original thinking, too, and why I ask about this! I am really enjoying this thread and all the opinions. Thanks to you all!

 

[kathyinmo]

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Yes, I understand that part (kill the sick ones). The part I don't understand is the ones that do not get sick .... are they carriers or resistant (because they have obviously been exposed, right?)?

In my way of looking at it - they could be either. I don't vaccinate because I have over 300 different birds of all ages, breeds, and sizes running around. I would be spending every waking moment vaccinating. DH and I are at the feed store daily. From what I've read, people track home diseases from there, hence they are the carriers. I can't possibly vaccinate my flocks from every potential "bug" that might get tracked back to the farm so my flocks and herds need to develop as much natural immunity as possible. If not, I guess they are goners if a real disease hits.

But, as I posted earlier, I already know something is different about my animals. My uncle & cousin raise meat goats. They are now having to use a really high potency chemical wormer, every month now just to keep them alive. I don't even want to think about what's in the meat and people buy his goats to eat. But I've never wormed mine. The difference is most likely that his are kept in a fenced area and mine are roaming the woods and pastures at will. To me, I'm breeding for natural resistance.

My opinion is that worms and cocci are not, "diseases." I will always treat for these 2 things. Just as I will treat for any parasites (lice or mites). I dust my birds with poultry dust every couple months or so, and sprinkle it in the bedding and dusting holes. I don't believe there is "resistance," to these things, as far as I know. Just like humans can get head lice, there wouldn't be resistance.

 

[snowbird]

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SO, by going to a show or the feed store .... everyone is at risk. Go to the feed store, then sell chicks you hatched a couple weeks prior, and not knowingly you have sold potentially sick chicks. Correct?

This is sooooooo confusing to me. Resistance or immunization, such a tough decision!

Kathy, I do Mareks at day one, Laryngo and Pox both on the same day and the N-B every three month in the water. This will eliminate the need to medicate them all the time and make it a lot easier to sleep at night.

If someone doesn't want to vaccinate that is alright too since mine will be vaccinated. I hope everyone knows if the agriculture Dept. comes in if you have an outbreak sometimes they will depopulate the entire flock.

 

[snowbird]

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In my way of looking at it - they could be either. I don't vaccinate because I have over 300 different birds of all ages, breeds, and sizes running around. I would be spending every waking moment vaccinating. DH and I are at the feed store daily. From what I've read, people track home diseases from there, hence they are the carriers. I can't possibly vaccinate my flocks from every potential "bug" that might get tracked back to the farm so my flocks and herds need to develop as much natural immunity as possible. If not, I guess they are goners if a real disease hits.

But, as I posted earlier, I already know something is different about my animals. My uncle & cousin raise meat goats. They are now having to use a really high potency chemical wormer, every month now just to keep them alive. I don't even want to think about what's in the meat and people buy his goats to eat. But I've never wormed mine. The difference is most likely that his are kept in a fenced area and mine are roaming the woods and pastures at will. To me, I'm breeding for natural resistance.

My opinion is that worming and cocci are not, "diseases." I will always treat for these 2 things.

I worm my fowl on four month intervals and if I had a cocci outbreak would medicate for it also. Since I switched to wood floored brooders I have not ever had cocci since but I keep medication just in case.

 

[kathyinmo]

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What about the Mycoplasma diseases? MG and MS? Do they have vaccines for those? I hear that 70% of flocks tested have these.

 

[gogoalie]

Kathy, keep in mind, I didn't know that a bird, once recovered, could contaminate again, with original sickness, that that bird recovered from, if that's the case, then you'll hafta keep that bird & any subsequent birds, that do get sick, & recover, quaranteened from the rest of yer flock. If they're bred, you'll need to remove the eggs immediatly, & incubate them seperatly, & also keep them away from the non sick birds to ensure that they too aren't carriers, with the disease passed on from mother to chick.

With that, you're breeding for resistance. It's Darwin's Theory in practice.

Immediate culling from the flock of those that aren't sick, is just artificial selection.

 

[snowbird]

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What about the Mycoplasma diseases? MG and MS? Do they have vaccines for those? I hear that 70% of flocks tested have these.

Yes they have vaccines for this also plus there in a medication regimine to keep it in control if they have it already. I will write more on MG-CRD later tonight. I have some good info on this also.

 

[snowbird]

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Resistance does mean the bird gets sick, doesn't die from the sickness, & pass on the genes that they carry, that made them survive in the first place...

If your fowl gets sick from Mareks, Laryngo or Coryza and survive they will most likely be carriers of the disease.