Coccidiodis, fowl pox, and selling poultry

[FLChickens]

i have a very small flock, of which we lost a few chicks probably to coccidiodis earlier this year, and seem to be going through an outbreak of dry fowl pox now. I've never had sick chickens in my flocks before.

My question is this ... if I happen to raise extra chicks next year, would I be passing along any danger to sell birds, chicks, or hatching eggs from my flock? If I need to quarantine forever I will. I do NOT want to ever cause infection anywhere else.

I gather that both of these are spread without even contacting other chickens though?

Thanks.

 

[Kiki]

Fowl Pox is spread by mosquitos. Coccidiosis is everywhere.
Check these two out to learn more about them both.

http://articles.extension.org/pages/68128/fowl-pox-in-poultry
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/coccidiosis/overview-of-coccidiosis-in-poultry

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If all you're dealing with is Coccidiosis or Fowl Pox, then you shouldn't need to worry about the selling of chicks. You want to make sure that all chicks are healthy and don't have any symptoms when you sell them.

As @KikisGirls mentioned - these 2 things can be common.
Cocidiosis is found in the soil and in a chicken's poop. As chicks, they may be resistant or have built an immunity to the protozoa that they have grown up with. If sold, they may encounter another strain and develop symptoms and need to be treated - that is just the way it works.

Fowl Pox is transmitted by mosquitoes for the most part - you don't want to sell birds while they have any symptoms or scabs. Wait until the scabs are dried up and the birds are in good health. Generally birds that have had Fowl Pox build up an immunity/resistance as well.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I wouldnt personally sell birds that have fowl pox but then again I don't buy peoples throwaway birds due to them dumping out their sick birds instead of culling them

 

[FLChickens]

Thanks, all, that's what I needed to know. At present I don't have plans to sell any. But as I have three hens that can go broody, various other hens, and a rooster, it is very possible that we can end up with more chickens than we need. I don't like putting all young point-of-lay hens in the stew pot just because they are extras. I won't be able to handle extra population as I normally have.

I have no intention of raising any more chicks this year. I want to get this darn fowl pox gone before producing anything more that will be exposed to it. And hopefully coccidiosis won't be a problem with broodies hatching my eggs from now on.

Thanks agin!

 

[FLChickens]

I wouldnt personally sell birds that have fowl pox but then again I don't buy peoples throwaway birds due to them dumping out their sick birds instead of culling them

I'm not sure if you meant this to imply I'd sell my sick birds, but I would never. No, I'm not culling them. Not at present. I've had a farm with various livestock, and raised chickens pretty large scale before that - and never have I ever dealt with this kind of sickness. One hen with bumblefoot, a number of accidents, but never sickness. Having so few birds and so much sickness among them has hit us like a train wreck, but if it's something they can recover from without being compromised, I've of a mind to given them every chance to do that.

But I would never sell a sick bird. I would never sell even an apparently healthy bird if I had sick ones in my flock. The same would have been true for goats, rabbits, or any other animals. But maybe that's not what you meant. I hope not.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I'm not sure if you meant this to imply I'd sell my sick birds, but I would never. No, I'm not culling them. Not at present. I've had a farm with various livestock, and raised chickens pretty large scale before that - and never have I ever dealt with this kind of sickness. One hen with bumblefoot, a number of accidents, but never sickness. Having so few birds and so much sickness among them has hit us like a train wreck, but if it's something they can recover from without being compromised, I've of a mind to given them every chance to do that.

But I would never sell a sick bird. I would never sell even an apparently healthy bird if I had sick ones in my flock. The same would have been true for goats, rabbits, or any other animals. But maybe that's not what you meant. I hope not.

Not you in particular people around here dump out there sick ones someone recently bought a pair of sebrights from a flock swap to find out they have mg then another person bought a serama that had wry tail I once took a lav orp...they had it in a box which was suspicious turns out it had a bad case of mg and I culled it minutes later this state is notoriuos for dumping sick birds since they themselves don't wanna cull them they sell them knowing they are sick

 

[FLChickens]

Not you in particular people around here dump out there sick ones someone recently bought a pair of sebrights from a flock swap to find out they have mg then another person bought a serama that had wry tail I once took a lav orp...they had it in a box which was suspicious turns out it had a bad case of mg and I culled it minutes later this state is notoriuos for dumping sick birds since they themselves don't wanna cull them they sell them knowing they are sick

Sorry to hear that. I really just can't imagine selling a sick animal.

Usually I have kept completely closed flocks and herds myself, after establishing, because I felt chickens and goats in particular seem so susceptible to illness. I guess I've been lucky, with my poultry at least. In hundreds and hundreds of birds I've had almost no disease. (Goats are another story - I wanted to raise them organically but the conditions were against me and I really struggled at times to keep them healthy, especially wrt parasites.)

It seems coccidiosis and fowl pox can't be prevented at times though, and no amount of good management (unless maybe I'd used mosquito screens over the wire!) could have prevented it. My other flocks were always free range too ... maybe they were healthier for having scratched through manure piles! This is my first contained flock, but I've got just a half-acre and want to have some plants and a clean area for myself, not to mention hawks are terrible here.

But I had to ask. I don't want to have to sacrifice young layers just because I don't need them, but I wanted to make sure I didn't need to avoid selling. I know some diseases in a flock mean it's best never to send any out, but because I've never had disease, I'm terribly ignorant about it.

Apologies for misunderstanding you.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Sorry to hear that. I really just can't imagine selling a sick animal.

Usually I have kept completely closed flocks and herds myself, after establishing, because I felt chickens and goats in particular seem so susceptible to illness. I guess I've been lucky, with my poultry at least. In hundreds and hundreds of birds I've had almost no disease. (Goats are another story - I wanted to raise them organically but the conditions were against me and I really struggled at times to keep them healthy, especially wrt parasites.)

It seems coccidiosis and fowl pox can't be prevented at times though, and no amount of good management (unless maybe I'd used mosquito screens over the wire!) could have prevented it. My other flocks were always free range too ... maybe they were healthier for having scratched through manure piles! This is my first contained flock, but I've got just a half-acre and want to have some plants and a clean area for myself, not to mention hawks are terrible here.

But I had to ask. I don't want to have to sacrifice young layers just because I don't need them, but I wanted to make sure I didn't need to avoid selling. I know some diseases in a flock mean it's best never to send any out, but because I've never had disease, I'm terribly ignorant about it.

Apologies for misunderstanding you.

My flock is closed as I don't trust anyone elses birds but I do buy from hatcheries as im using some as project breeders cocci is treatable once they get fowl pox they are immune to that strain ive never had fowl pox but a friends had cocci my biggest right now is toxins and just got done treating for mites but anything thats a sinus infection gets culled its not worth treating

 

[FLChickens]

My flock is closed as I don't trust anyone elses birds but I do buy from hatcheries as im using some as project breeders cocci is treatable once they get fowl pox they are immune to that strain ive never had fowl pox but a friends had cocci my biggest right now is toxins and just got done treating for mites but anything thats a sinus infection gets culled its not worth treating

Well, most of mine that got fowl pox are essentially fine. One has a closed eye, there are some bumps and marks on combs and faces. But other than taking regular care of them they don't need much more.

One little BR pullet, just happened to be the only BR pullet, got a terrible case. She's needed intense care including syringe feeding and dipping her beak for every sip of water for some 5ish weeks. She started eating on her own yesterday and is happily scratching about in the sun in a little pen right now. But I've tried not to think of the fact that I could pick up another one for $5 from the same farm, no effort needed. Mostly just extra worrying and watching. Cocci was another matter - we lost a about a third of them that came down with it.

Just my own from growing up on a farm and having a farm. We just did whatever the animals needed as far as nursing care. Often ending up with a less-robust (though much friendlier) animal, that ends up with a free pass for its lifetime because it's become a pet.

I know it's not practical. But that's just how I generally have always done things.