Bumps on the head and around eyes: Can someone help?

[rainbowhens]

Hi all,

Thanks for taking a look at this thread. I have 5 leghornXred hens and a couple days ago I noticed that one of them had a couple bumps on her face. I thought she got scratched by a cat and those were scars. Hugh! Today they all have it. Can someone help me identify the disease?

Here is a link to a picture:
https://plus.google.com/photos/1061...ms/5857628289589184641?authkey=COi_jKT5mpaoLQ

Thanks a bunch!

 

[rainbowhens]

I just read a bunch of old posts and it looks like dry pox, so I will just wait and see.

 

[Michael Apple]

That looks like Dry Pox as opposed to Wet Pox. Dry Pox is spread by mosquitoes, wild birds, and other biting insects. All the birds will need to be vaccinated which are not showing symptoms yet. The ones that are showing symptoms will be affected for 2-4 weeks and will need to be isolated from the rest of the flock. You will need to put vitamins or antibiotics like Tetracycline in the water to avoid secondary infections. Secondary infections like a respiratory one can happen because the bird's resistance is down since antibodies are fighting the Fowl Pox.

There is a Fowl Pox vaccine which is used from 5 weeks old to adulthood. That is the one you want, not the Chick-N-Pox vaccine. You can go through your flock and vaccinate all the older birds then the young ones. It comes in two vials, and you mix the two vials together. There's a prong that comes with it. You dip it in the Pox vaccine and pierce the wing web from the underside of the wing. Find the section of the wing web with no feathers as the feathers will wipe the vaccine off the prong. In a couple days you'll notice a red spot at the vaccination site. That shows the vaccination took and the bird is now immune. This doesn't mean the bird is always immune for life since outbreaks have happened after vaccinating. In heavily populated ares of mosquitoes, it is common for people dealing with Fowl Pox to vaccinate every 6 months unless there is some new vaccine I'm ignorant of.

 

[rainbowhens]

Thanks for the reply. I live in a wet area where wild chickens and peacocks come down from a nearby forest daily to visit. I think that's how my birds got it. They are al showing symptoms, so I think it is too late for vaccines. Thanks again! I am glad I found this site.