Chicken warts?

[mamasteg]

Hello - our little flock of 7-month-old girls has been thriving, and laying well (save one Buff Orp who is still in a tween stage). I just got home after being gone a week, and some of my girls have developed black, wart-like bumps on their faces. I am attaching pics of my EEgger Fortuna, and Cuckoo Maran Gloria. Gloria was laying 5 eggs a week, but stopped after a cold front came through a few weeks ago - we chalked that up to the weather. Everyone else still laying, though possibly not as often. (Hard to tell since my kids, who were here for the last week, were eating the eggs as fast as they were laid).

Are these pecking injuries? My girls, while all relativly laid-back, have been establishing the order the last few weeks.

Thank you in advance for any thoughts and advice on treatment, if it is necessary - and hints on avoidance. Thanks!

 

[CluckerFamily]

Those spots look like fowl pox. Fowl pox can be transmitted from mosquitoes.

 

[mamasteg]

Those spots look like fowl pox. Fowl pox can be transmitted from mosquitoes.

Well we certainly have lots of those - ugh! Searching for ways to help them now... thank you!

 

[Isaac 0]

That is likely Fowl pox, dry form.

It would be a good idea to apply something to the lesions to prevent tissue, and or ocular damage and further spread. For that, you could use something like Terramycin, Neosporin, or Iodine.

If you only have a few birds affected out of your whole flock, you could administer the fowlpox vaccine via the wing web method. To help reduce further spread within your flock.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=63c9bff7-0ae9-41a5-bce7-773d195ee78c

In addition to the measures mentioned above, providing the birds with vitamins, specifically ones that contain zinc, may help as zinc is a key mineral in maintaining their immune response to these viral diseases. Keeping their feeders waterer cleans, and reducing the mosquito population would be good too, as that is one of the routes the disease is transmitted.

Here is some info on Fowl pox :
http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/fowl-pox-backyard-flocks

 

[mamasteg]

That is likely Fowl pox, dry form.

It would be a good idea to apply something to the lesions to prevent tissue, and or ocular damage and further spread. For that, you could use something like Terramycin, Neosporin, or Iodine.

If you only have a few birds affected out of your whole flock, you could administer the fowlpox vaccine via the wing web method. To help reduce further spread within your flock.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=63c9bff7-0ae9-41a5-bce7-773d195ee78c

In addition to the measures mentioned above, providing the birds with vitamins, specifically ones that contain zinc, may help as zinc is a key mineral in maintaining their immune response to these viral diseases. Keeping their feeders waterer cleans, and reducing the mosquito population would be good too, as that is one of the routes the disease is transmitted.

Here is some info on Fowl pox :
http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/fowl-pox-backyard-flocks

Thank you for all this information - heading out to apply neosporin and add electrolytes right now.

Question: can I administer the vaccine to my whole flock, including infected chickens? They are all past the 'pre-laying' stage. In addition, should their eggs be discarded for a period of time after vaccination?

I really wish I had read about this before, and inoculated them when they were younger. If I had done more research I could have spared my girls...

Thank you again for your help.

 

[Isaac 0]

Thank you for all this information - heading out to apply neosporin and add electrolytes right now.

Question: can I administer the vaccine to my whole flock, including infected chickens? They are all past the 'pre-laying' stage. In addition, should their eggs be discarded for a period of time after vaccination?

I really wish I had read about this before, and inoculated them when they were younger. If I had done more research I could have spared my girls...

Thank you again for your help.

Generally, any birds that get the pox lesions, are then immune to it in the future. So as far as vaccinating, there would be no reason to do so to the birds that already have it. Most vaccinate for fowl pox when only a few birds are affected out of a whole flock to prevent further spread. If most of your birds are affected, I would say just leave them be, and skip the use of the vaccine.

Fowlpox will go away on its own after a few month/s, and in most cases, when birds are affected with the dry form, they turn out fine. The concern comes when birds are affected by the wet form which can clog their airways, and esophagus and prevent them from eating/drinking/breathing well.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My whole flock got fowl pox. The lesions went away on their own, and none seemed to suffer. I did treat a couple of hens who had larger lesions with iodine on the troublesome spots. Dry form = better than wet form. I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[mamasteg]

Thanks for all the advice. I added probiotics and some zinc to warm oatmeal/yogurt, upped their protein with mealworms, sterilized everything, and put vitamins/electrolytes in their water. I also covered everything with neosporin (which didn't make me overly popular in the run). Everyone is eating well - we will keep a close eye on them, and will definitely vaccinate our pullets in the future.

I love this website!

 

[Isaac 0]

Thanks for all the advice. I added probiotics and some zinc to warm oatmeal/yogurt, upped their protein with mealworms, sterilized everything, and put vitamins/electrolytes in their water. I also covered everything with neosporin (which didn't make me overly popular in the run). Everyone is eating well - we will keep a close eye on them, and will definitely vaccinate our pullets in the future.

I love this website!

Let us know how they do.

In regards to the zinc, I wouldn't give them straight zinc. The amount found in poultry vitamins is usually sufficient.