Help Please

Chuck70

In the Brooder
5 Years
Aug 3, 2014
30
0
34
Summerville , South Carolina
im very new chickens. So this morning I go out to give my girls a close look over, and I find my Ruby with some kind of breakout on her face and waddle. it looks like scabs or warts no sure please give me some advise if its bad of nothing do right by my girls.

Thanks
 
Oh my, she has a serious case of fowl pox, a virus carried by mosquitoes. It has to run it's course over 3-5 weeks, and other than putting some Neosporin ointment (plain) or Vetericyn into her eyes to help prevent an eye infection, there isn't much you can do. Iodine applied to lesions away from eyes may help dry them out. It's very important to make sure she is eating enough. Look inside the beak and throat for any yellow lesions that can indicate wet pox, which can be very deadly. Here is some reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/avian-pox-how-to-treat-your-chickens-for-avian-pox
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/63/fowl-pox-pox-avian-pox
 
Last edited:
There are tons of threads here on BYC to look up and read about fowl pox. It's usually only bad in tropical areas with lots of mosquitoes and wet areas for them to breed. Here in the Ohio Valley, I get a very slight case or two a year, maybe one scab. Your hens should do fine as long as they keep up eating and drinking. I would get some extra protein in feeding eggs, 24-26% gamebird feed, or low salt tuna or ground meat for treats. There are so very scary pictures in this link about having both wet and dry pox in a flock, but this is very extreme: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...x-xxx-rated-graphic-pictures-of-pus-and-scabs
 
today I noticed her eyes were watering I am fearing the worse after seeing some of those pictures. I have only had these girls 2 weeks now, I am starting to think they were sick when I got them
 
Watery eyes can be common with fowl pox, and it's different from a respiratory disease where you have carriers. Fowl pox comes directly from mosquitoes. If you live in the south or in a tropical area, pox is very common during hot weather. As long as yours don't develop wet pox, they should recover and be immune to that particular strain of pox in the future. In areas where pox is prevalent, vaccination of new chickens may be done.
 
thanks eggcessive I really appreciate all you advice and info.i do live in south Carolina and mosquitoes rule in the summer here. thunder thanks for the concern also I just want girl to get well. thanks again both of you.
 
Try cleaning her eyes with some warm tea with cotton pads, i had the some problem with 2 of mine, just clean her eyes every few hours. Im sure she will be fine it just takes time but its worring for you. The scabs will fall off themslves.
I hope she gets better soon
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom