California - Northern

[attimus]

It is the toughest thing watching your bird suffocating from fowl pox.

Back story: birds got fowl pox while on vacation, turned into wet pox, no b local stores had the vaccine. Finally drove an hour to another feed store to get vaccine. Vaccinate entire flock. Probably lost about 1/2 flock from heat and fowl pox. Ones dying now show no outer symptoms. Buy one day see them trouble breathing look in their mouth entire trachea covered in lesions. No other lesions on body and mouth. Add to cull many at this point so they don't suffer. I am thinking were exposed and maybe the vaccine helped with the outer lesions and eyes but not enough for internal.

dealing with a recent outbreak of Marek's, I Feel your pain.

 

[curious chickee]

Linda Hammid is in Roseville--Since you have had fowl pox, then it is in your area and the flock will need to be immunized regularly:

http://www.sweeth2o.us/FowlPox.html

This is the first time for fowl pox, but several of our 4H families got fowl pox, must be due the wetter season. I think we got it at fair, since they were having flooding issues and all our flocks caught it at same time, plus we live about 5 miles apart. I picked up some extra so I will be ready for next time. I plan on vaccinating now March and September. Just hard to watch since we can't do anything. Especially since these are my daughters 4H show birds.

 

[Mysticpied]

Hey all,
I'm in Antioch, CA and hoping that someone nearby has some experience with treating bumble foot. I can't afford a vet visit, but I'm intimidated by trying to handle it myself without a knowing eye over my shoulder. Let me know if you're in the area and willing to help a girl out. Thanks.
Jackie

 

[Mysticpied]

Pictures of current state of foot.

 

[curious chickee]

Pictures of current state of foot.

The first thing is to soak that foot/feet in Epsom salt water to soften that plug in the bottom

 

[caychris]

Hey all,
I'm in Antioch, CA and hoping that someone nearby has some experience with treating bumble foot. I can't afford a vet visit, but I'm intimidated by trying to handle it myself without a knowing eye over my shoulder. Let me know if you're in the area and willing to help a girl out. Thanks.
Jackie

Not experienced with bumble foot but do live in Antioch. What kinds of chickens do you have.

 

[Honora]

Hey all,
I'm in Antioch, CA and hoping that someone nearby has some experience with treating bumble foot. I can't afford a vet visit, but I'm intimidated by trying to handle it myself without a knowing eye over my shoulder. Let me know if you're in the area and willing to help a girl out. Thanks.
Jackie

I have done it before but Antioch is a bit far for me. I had my husband hold the hen in the sink with her foot under the running water. I used a small, pointed-tip pair of scissors to cut around the plug & pulled it out. Then I squeezed the foot to get any pus out of the wound. I packed it with antibiotic ointment & bandaged it up with a gauze pad and vet wrap tape. It healed up fine, & there was no need to get her to the vet. There are a few threads on here with directions for how to do it yourself; it is not too hard. Good luck, you can do it!

 

[MamaPenguin]

Ameraucanas or any heavily under-downed breed will accumulate dried poop on the down under the vent. We had to wash our Blue Wheaten Ameraucana so often that it is one of the reasons I won't get another. It took an hour or more carefully getting all the dirt, poop, pebbles, debris, carefully washing it off with 4 to 6 baby shampoo applications and then taking forever to blow-dry all that fluffy underdown!!! There are other reasons also that we will not get more Ameraucanas (or EEs) but washing those fluffy tushes is a REAL chore and takes patience to get it all off gently. I thought the poor thing had worms or cocci or something but it was only that everything sticks to those very soft feathers! As fluffy as my bantam Silkies are I never had to take an hour or more to get their tush-down clean and blow-dried because they aren't as heavily under-downed as the large fowl fluffies.

Thank you so much for your reply!! This certainly explains the dried stuck on poop on Bertha's fluffy bottom!!! My other Ameraucana Gertrude doesn't have the same issue with her bottom, thank goodness. They are both so sweet and Bertha actually flies over to me whenever she sees I have treats!! LOL! I am really enjoying them- my RIR and Red Star are not quite laying eggs yet and my decorative hens, the white crested black polish hens, are super fun!!

 

[Magnolia7330]

Newest member to the California populace

Congratulations!!!

 

[Lynn Manes]

Newest member to the California populace

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations