Maybelline

She is beautiful!!

 

Maryellen -- Maybelline is GORGEOUS! I love the even distribution of black and white on her tail feathers! She is my perfect ideal for a Mottled Breda. Is Maybelline from Dutch stock hatching or from RFR hatching eggs?

My Cuckoo Breda is molting right now, poor thing.

I lost my battle to keep my two Blue Breda alive. I lost the last one at 6-months. I will get more in future but I scrambled immediately to find some layer birds to have by the New Year so I special ordered 3 Dominique chicks from my local feed store. I chose Dominique because they are very similar to Breda in temperament, smaller size, and outgoing friendly curious personalities.

 

Maryellen, your Mottleds are GORGEOUS, beautiful even mottling, I'm so jealous !

Yep, lost the two Blue Breda pullets what we surmise was leukosis. No matter what my vet could've done, the Blue's would've eventually died or had to be put down -- losing weight in spite of eating, respiratory problems that would not respond to treatment, and bloody cocci as younger juveniles, all evidences of a compromised immune system due to the leukosis. Breda owners/breeders have been wondering about the high mortality issue with Breda and chickendanz and I feel the leukosis virus passed on from mating can be the culprit.

At first I thought Marek's, but my Blue's didn't display the split-leg paralysis or nerve damage - leukosis attacks the internal organs and not the nervous system, liver I think it attacks, and there's no cure. Necropsy can mis-diagnose leukosis as Marek's because of the similar looking cancerous lesions. Some birds can survive Marek's but so far there's no hope for leukosis and euthanasia is recommended. Leukosis is passed on thru mating, fleas, lice, mites, parasites, and need a living host to continue being passed on. Marek's virus can survive in soil outside a host but leukosis needs a living host to survive. Something breeders of Breda need to know is to use only their healthy breeders that produce non-mortality chicks to stop the perpetuation of leukosis from generation to generation. I'm hoping this information is useful to help frustrated breeders of Breda who have been experiencing high mortality. Leukosis could be the culprit and eliminating mating breeders of high-mortality offspring should be culled, not to mention the obvious cleanliness of eliminating parasites.

This article explains avian leukosis much better than I can:
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/avian-leukosis/index.aspx

 

Hi Maryellen,

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. I never ever felt she was 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.

Did you read the avian leukosis article? I think it will be very helpful for Breda breeders 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 breeders? I know most 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?