Avian Pox

[adbrodie]

Hello! Nice to see so many chicken owners in one place!. My husband and I just started raising hens this past summer, for eggs. We've just noticed one of the buffs has black spots or her face, and looked it up. It is clearly avian pox. We have separated her from the others but do not know just how long she has been ill or what eggs she layed. Does anyone know if the eggs layed by infected hens are OK to eat or should they be disgarded? thank you.

 

[elmo]

It's ok to eat the eggs. It's not contagious to humans even through direct contact with the lesions. It is very contagious to other birds, though, so you do need to wash your hands carefully (or use disposable gloves) if you touch infected birds and then move on to uninfected ones. Isolating the affected bird is a good idea, although as you probably know your other birds might come down with it anyway because avian pox is transmitted by mosquitoes.

My small flock all has the dry pox, with one poor bird coming down with wet pox, too. It's also not unusual to see egg production slow down or even cease in birds with avian pox. Three of my hens have stopped laying altogether; the only one laying is the smallest hen of them all. Go figure! She's small, but she's feisty, I guess.