I am having a Fowl Pox outbreak! Help!!!

cbookout

Songster
6 Years
May 22, 2015
83
16
106
North Texas
Well, unfortunately all my hens and my rooster are sick with fowl pox. At first I thought they all had bumble foot because of the foot and legs sores then I started to notice the sores on their combs and waddles as well. So far they all look as though they have the Dry form except for 1. She's always been my sickly runt and she seems to have the wet form so she is unfortunately getting culled today.

At this point I'll take any advice or suggestions to get them well, keep them comfortable and hopefully keep them alive. Heres a few questions I have... Can I vaccinate them for fowl pox during an outbreak? Can I eat their eggs if they are sick? How on earth do you keep mosquitoes at bay when they have 10,000 sq ft of wooded free range space?

Thanks to any and all that reply!
 
No you can't vaccinate sick birds, from what I've read. Those with dry fowl pox should weather through it just fine, no treatment needed. Some people do various things to protect from secondary bacterial infections, but that probably isn't needed, but I'm no expert. My flock has just gone through the dry fowl pox, no treatment, doing fine.They now appear to be going through Coccidosis, perhaps because they were stressed by the Fowl Pox. Treating that with Corid. Good news is they are active, eating and drinking well and still laying eggs.
 
You can eat the eggs, no problem, Like humans with" chicken pox", chickens that have had " fowl pox" are immune and won't catch it again, or at least that's what I've read. This info has all been gleaned from this forum. If anyone knows different, please chime in.
 
I just wanted to update anyone interested..

My chickens survived Fowl Pox and it looks like they only had the dry pox (except for maybe 1). The had puss and scab covered sores on their combs, waddles and feet and legs for about 2.5 weeks. The chickens with pea combs only had the sores on their feet and legs, no where else. There were no other symptoms other than the sores.

I treated them with rooster booster vitamins and raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar in their water and I generously sprayed their sores when I started to notice them with Vetricyn Wound Care Gel. In addition to giving them new fresh water everyday (I usually do this every 2 to 3 days) I cleaned their waterers with bleach 3 times during the outbreak. I also dusted their roost bars with diatomaceous earth to prevent bugs from getting to their foot wounds. I actually decided to just do this twice a month from now on.

They all seem to be happy and healthy and although I did notice a drop in egg production, I was still getting about 3 or 4 eggs a day from 11 hens all going through fowl pox so not too bad at all. I was thrilled not to lose a single bird to the virus.

Here they are after getting over the worst of it. (1 Speckled Sussex Roo and 3 hens, 2 New Hampshire Reds, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Silkies - 1 Roo and 1 little Runt Hen)









 

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