Can my elder rooster catch fowl pox/canker from a rescue pigeon? Please help.

[lanceekcv]

My roo, 6, white leghorn is a healthy house chicken. I love him more than words can express.

8 days ago, I rescued a squab (baby pigeon) fallen off the nest and diagnosed him with pigeon pox shortly. He was tube fed thrice and he had been improving before he developed a secondary infection, canker - yellow, cheesy growth inside this mouth which made it hard for him to even close his beak; his face swollen up, one eye entirely covered with pox and I lost him in the morning today.

From the first diagnosis of pox, I was treating him with azithromycin, for 7 days, fearing a secondary infection. Unfortunately, he developed an infection which I think is canker (I treated him with flagyl and flucanazole yesterday) I'm unsure if he perished due to canker or developed an yeast infection with all the antibiotics. I feel terrible today. I thought I could save him.

Now I'm worried for my rooster though I kept them in different floors and have been changing clothes and washing my hands with soap before handling the two. Could chickens contract the pox virus or canker or yeast infection from pigeons?

Is there a possibility? If yes, should I immediately put him on antibiotics or something, as a preventive measure? He has been shaking his head since morning today making me panic more. No mites. I cleaned his ears.

I am depressed with all these thoughts. I want to save my boy and don't want to delay anything, just in case.

Please help me if you can. I'd be very thankful.

 

[lanceekcv]

Attaching pictures of the pigeon with fowl pox. I didn't take pictures of his mouth with canker. But it was swollen, he couldn't close his beak and his face and eyes went swollen the night before he passed away.

Kindly guide me on how to prevent my rooster from getting sick. I'm worried about what diseases are contagious and transmittable.

 

[Eggcessive]

Fowl pox is a virus carried by mosquitoes, and antibiotics will not help. The canker the pigeon had, could have been wet fowl pox which can be confused with the yellow material inside the beak. Canker stinks, wet fowl pox does not. Was there an odor? Pigeons do get canker, and it can be treated with metronidazole (Fish Zole, flagyl) or ronidazole. And yes your chicken could get pox from a mosquito or by inhaling shed scabs from the pigeon. Sorry for your loss.

 

[lanceekcv]

Thanks for taking your time to help me. It really means a lot. I now believe it was wet pox. There was no odor.

My rooster is healthy, crowing now but I'm worried he's possibly exposed. I see no lesions on the body/comb/face and nothing in his throat too. Is it fine to vaccinate him now with fowlpox/pigeonpox vaccine?

I can drive him down to the hospital to get the vaccination done if it would be helpful as an emergency step. But what if he is exposed already and the virus is in incubation period? I'm also afraid it could make it worse.

I'm willing to spend all the time and money to save my boy. He had been a savior during my depressive days. I just don't want to be careless with him.

Please guide if you'll have any advice for me. Thank you so much once again.