Chicken Pox!?!

[bowiebenson]

I took my roosters to the butcher this morning... 2 large wyandottes that came from another farm back a few months and 7 home raised americanas.... the 7 that were raised at home were fine and disease free. The 2 wyandottes on the other hand, I was told and showed, that they had chicken pox.... tiny little white bumps on their inner linings....

First question... why can't you eat a chicken that has had the pox?

Second...Are the white dots a sign of past illness or is this something current I need to worry about.. I have around 75 chickens right now In 3 different pens.....

thrird.....I dont see any sign among the hens that these roosters were with, but i didnt see signs on the roosters either.... are they going to infect my other birds even after they have recovered?

 

[bowiebenson]

Really? Nothing? I've tried searching the internet for answers for the last few hours but have not found anything helpful.... hope someone knows something that might help here....

 

[caspernc]

Here is some info. At least it will give the correct name. Not eatting the bird is not covered, but with new search it may tell you. I'm going to look.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2102

 

[mypicklebird]

What do you mean by inner linings? Chickens don't actually get chicken pox. Humans get chicken pox, chickens get fowl pox. In meat inspection, a recovered bird that had fowl pox or a chicken with localized lesions (that can be removed)) would probably not be condemned. If a bird is in poor condition or had systemic/generalized lesions it would be condemned at inspection. If your birds had a few dry pox lesions on their heads or wattles- they would probably not be condemned. If they had wet pox and nodules in their oral/tracheal ect area- they might be condemned- but these birds would have looked and sounded sick to you before you brought them in.

If the butcher showed you bumps or nodules on organs not associated with the respiratory tract or skin, this is not fowl pox.

Most diseases that caused lots of bumps/nodules on internal organs would cause the carcass to be condemned for human consumption- Marek's, lymphoid leukosis, salmonellas, tuberculosis ect. I wouldn't eat any meat that looked diseased- and white bumps on inner linings does sound like a disease.

If the butcher showed you abnormal tissues and you want to know for sure what it was (and if it safe to eat, or a risk to the rest of the flock) you need to get a bird tested.

Look into your state lab, poultry extension service.

 

[bowiebenson]

Yes, I've found some stuff about how they get it but... it seems that these roosters had it a recovered BEFORE I got them since we have not had any signs of it here.... Maybe I'm too fearfull but I was planning on moving some of my pirds into the pen these roosters were in and I'm going to cancel that if theres a chance my babies are going to contract something.

I can't find if once they have recovered if they are still "carriers" once they dont have scabs and stuff... because I never saw them suffer this illness so I have to assume it was not while they were living here... plus they have been here a while and been with m layers and they have shown no signs of it, except for a first moult that theya re begining right now, of course just in time for winter.. eesh...

The butcher told me they has chicken pox and I was gong to correct her and ask if it was avian pox or what but the white bumps... not seeming tobe sores... just looked like scarring and such.... they were INSIDE the bird! nothing was on their heads or legs and they have been very great looking birds, healthy a active... I'm confused how they can have POX inside and I'm wondering if there is some other version....

Wondering also why they had to throw out 2 12lb. birds because of these spots... are they contagious to humans? is there some regualtion against eating them... I'mfeeling bad that my buddies got the ax and their bodies did not serve a purpose... I figure a learning lesson is due at the very least! RIP Judge and Jury!

 

[bowiebenson]

ill elaborate more on the white spots.... they were not bigger than the .period on your keyboard... very small and not clustered.. jsut random.... thye showed me a few on the neck area so right around the collar bone area and then the flipped it over and went in the cavity to show around the linings there and there were a few white deposits... looked that same color and such as the fat on the bird....

I have daily contact with these birds and never noticed any ill behavior or anything and I'm confused... I'm going to search for photos of these lesions to see if I'm just not as concerned as I should be! I don't knwo what to make of it.....

 

[bowiebenson]

I found some photos of condemned birds... seems the slit the throat and look at organs but nothing looked remotely alike... confused.....

I trust their judgement since they look at poultry every day and I am glad they are cautious but i dont knwo that Im convinced!

 

[mypicklebird]

If the bumps were inside of the bird and not IN the respiratory tract, this was not avian/fowl pox as far as I know- it is a disease of the skin (dry pox) or the respiratory tract & oral cavity (wet pox). I honestly think the butcher is miss- calling this and using the term 'pox' as a descriptive term, not a disease name. I don't know what was wrong with your bird- histopath would tell you- but if the birds are gone, you unfortunately will never know. Gout, viral tumors, ect many possibilities--