FOWL POX

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Back of Comb Middle stage: Some of the pox are a black crusty bloody pox.​

Fowl pox is a viral disease spread by the bites of mosquitoes. The infection leads to warty nodules on the bare or non-feathered parts of the head and legs and sometimes lesions in the beak, nostrils and throat. It depends on location, but pox is referred to as either skin pox or 'wet' pox.
The most common outbreak is the skin form, showing warty-like eruptions. Pale lumps form yellow bumps which may enlarge and run together forming masses of yellow crusts. It takes about a week for these scabs to darken and fall off.
The 'wet' pox form shows up in the beak, nostrils and throat as cheesy masses which interfere with eating and breathing.
Treatment is of little value. Lesions normally heal within 4 weeks. In severe cases it may be necessary to remove scabs and treat with antiseptic washes. Adding water soluble vitamin tonic powder to the flocks water source will help them fight this off.
Warm salt water can be used to clean off nostrils and beaks. The addition of 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar to each gallon of water can help reduce mucus but must not be mixed with the vitamin tonic.
Prevention by reducing exposure to mosquitoes is the best defense. Screening sheds and coops and by dealing with mosquito habitats. Vaccination is effective and warranted
once you are aware that this is prevalent in your area. Consider this when adding to the flock in subsequent seasons

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_cure_fowl_pox_in_chickens#ixzz1azl24bKg
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Healthy Chicken
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Fowl pox is a viral disease that comes under the heading of avian pox. Other strains of avian pox include pigeon pox and canary pox. Fowl pox affects domesticated birds like chickens and turkeys. The virus is slow moving, taking up to five weeks to run its course. It is contracted through direct and indirect contact with scratches and sores on the skin, or through the mucous membrane in the mouth and eyes.
  1. How to Detect It
    • The pox usually shows up as warty bumps on the exposed skin of the chicken: wattle, comb, and sometimes the feet. This is the most common strain called dry pox. Dry pox is rarely deadly. The lesions eventually dry up and scab over, then disappear. The other type of fowl pox is wet pox. It shows up as yellowish bumps or lesions in the mouth, nasal passages and sometimes eyes. These present more possibility of death because they can sometimes get large enough to pose a threat to the bird's ability to breathe. If both types of pox are present in the same chicken, the mortality rate is higher.
    What You Can Do
    • While there is no treatment or cure for fowl pox, there are some things you can do to lower the risks to your flock. Prevention is the best medicine, of course. Vaccines are inexpensive and fairly easy to administer. Remove a couple of feathers from the wing web area and press the vaccine into the skin with a specially made "stabber." Check a few days later for a scabbed over bump. This means the vaccine took. Since parasites like mosquitoes, lice and mites help spread the virus, keep standing water to a minimum and check your flock often for signs of infestation. If some of your chickens already show signs of the pox, vaccinate all that have no signs immediately to stop the spread. For birds suffering from the virus, you may want to swab the sores with iodine. According to Peter Brown at the First State Veterinary Supply site, this has been shown to help shorten the duration of the symptoms. You can also add antibiotics and vitamins to the water to keep the birds in general good health while they fight the virus.

      Read more: Fowl Pox Home Remedy | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5466033_fowl-pox-home-remedy.html#ixzz1azlaX3Zj
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      Eyes Middle stage: This dorkings left eye was sealed shut for 2 days but no one picked on him so I left him with the others
      Fowl pox
    • There are six closely related strains of pox virus. These are fowl pox, pigeon pox, quail pox, canary pox, psittacine pox, and ratite pox. Pigeon pox infects pigeons, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese. Canary pox infects canaries, chickens, sparrows, and probably other species. In some instances, but not always, exposure to one of the viruses stimulates development of immunity to that virus and one or more of the other viruses.
      Pox can be prevented in chickens, turkeys and pigeons by vaccination, but there is no effective commercial vaccine against canary pox.
      Chickens and pigeons are usually vaccinated by the wing web stick method. An applicator with two slotted needles is dipped in vaccine and thrust through the wing web. Turkeys are not generally vaccinated by the wing web route. Turkeys sleep with their head under the wing. Conjunctival (eye) pox can occur if the vaccine is administered to turkeys via the wing web. Instead, turkeys are vaccinated by a thigh-stick method.
      On farms with severe fowl pox problems, vaccination of all domestic poultry may be necessary. All domestic chicks and poults can be vaccinated at 1 day of age, pullets at 10 to 12 weeks, and turkeys at 8 to 14 weeks or when moved to range.
      In endemic areas, the prevailing virus type should be determined. Quail pox has been shown to affect chickens. There is no cross protection between quail pox and fowl pox. Vaccination for both may be necessary if both are endemic in the area. Flocks can be given fowl pox vaccination to reduce the severity of an outbreak.
      Do not vaccinate unless you have a problem on your farm or in your area. The virus is spread from bird to bird through the bites of blood-sucking insects (such as mosquitos) or through wounds and scratches by the birds when fighting. If there is a heavy mosquito infestation in an area, small flock owners may consider vaccinating with fowl pox vaccine.
      In problem areas requiring fowl-pox vaccination of baby chicks, the flock should be revaccinated after reaching 8 weeks of age or older to assure lasting immunity.