Avian pox? Bullying? Something else?

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chickluvinfreak

chickluvinfreak

Songster
Apr 7, 2016
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Riding off into the sunset :)
My Coop
My Coop
I was out of town for a few days the other week and when I came back I noticed that my usually top of the pecking order hen was acting weird. She normally comes over to me for treats and to be pet but instead she was running away and would'nt eat. I thought it had something to do with her molting. But today I noticed bloody scabs all over her comb, wattles and ear lobes. She also has identical cut marks on her legs. Like the scales came off of them. As far as I can tell she is the only chicken I have with any of these symptoms. Any ideas what this is? Thanks in advance for any help.


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It looks like pox, but I can't be totally certain. With that many scabs, I would think that another chicken might have a few if it were pox. Peck marks usually look jet black once the blood dries, so pox or some other insect bite may be the problem. Do you have ants or other insects around? If it is pox, it should only last 2-3 weeks unless there are complications. Here is some info about fowl pox with many pictures to show how it may look in different chickens:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/avian-pox-how-to-treat-your-chickens-for-avian-pox
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/07/fowl-pox-prevention-treatment.html
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/#/disease/Avian_Pox
 
@eggcesive
Thank you for your help. Like I said in the previous post she is normally at the top of the pecking order. Is it possible for that change for no apparent reason and her start getting pecked on? I've never seen her get in any fights but her behavior seems odd. She just hasn't been her friendly self and now I find thsee spots all over her face :/
 
Sometimes another chicken will challenge the pecking order, but I really think this is some sort of insect bite or fowl pox. They also can become ill or start molting, and others may jump in and start pecking them. Let us know how she gets along, and don't mess with the scabs just in case it is pox, since that can spread it. If any spots on near the eyes, you can put some Terramycin ointment into the eyes twice a day.
 
Eggcessive said:
Sometimes another chicken will challenge the pecking order, but I really think this is some sort of insect bite or fowl pox. They also can become ill or start molting, and others may jump in and start pecking them. Let us know how she gets along, and don't mess with the scabs just in case it is pox, since that can spread it. If any spots on near the eyes, you can put some Terramycin ointment into the eyes twice a day.
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks again. Is seperating her a good idea?
 
It can help to keep pox from spreading. Usually more than one will get it since it is spread by mosquitos. Do you have mosquitoes out now? If the scabs look different in a day or two, it might help us to see another picture.
 
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Eggcessive said:
It can help to keep pox from spreading.  Usually more than one will get it since it is spread by mosquitos. Do you have mosquitoes out now? If the scabs look different in a day or two, it might help us to see another picture.
Click to expand...

I am going to seperete her in a dog crate but keep it inside the coop so she doesn't get stressed out from being away from the rest of her flock. I'm not sure if that will help slow the spread of the avian pox but it will help me figure out if it's really pox or if she is being bullied. I live in Arizona and it is still warm outside (high 80s) and their are lots of flies. So I wouldn't be suprised if their are mosquitos. I will keep you (and anyone else) updated and take pictures if anything changes. In the meantime I'll clean her scabs with iodine, put a vitamin supplement in her water, disinfect the coop and possibly put her on an antibiotic.
 
Ok, so it's definitely fowl pox because even with quarantining it has spread to a large chunk of my flock :(. It seems to start off as white blisters than become these enlarged bloody scabs. Is this from scratching at them possibly? I'm going to give the whole flock antibiotics, a vitamin/electrolyte/probiotic supplement and try to keep iodine and vaseline on their combs. But I probably won't be able to do every chicken's comb every day. I have read about putting iodine in the water to keep it from spreading. Is it safe and how does it work? Is their anything else I can do like garlic or ACV or something? I just want to make sure that I'm doing everything possible to get them healthy again. What is the best disinfectant for my coop? Is just white vinegar strong enough? Here's a picture of what it looks like starting out on one of my hens...
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