Does my chick have fowl pox??

[CharleQ]

Hi all, I am new to post but been reading posts for months. My husband went and picked up three new chickens for me about two months ago to go with my already 6 month old RR. One chick (Brahma) who is likely 2-3 months old was instantly picked on. At thanksgiving I noticed her comb was black and hanging over her eye. I instantly removed her from the others and now have her quarantined. Could this be fowl pox? Or was she just roughed up? She’s very lethargic in the mornings but by evening time she’s playful. She’s never lost her appetite or thirst, she eats/drinks constantly. Any ideas??

 

[black_cat]

Yes, that looks like fowl pox. Did you quarantine the new hens after you got them before adding them to the flock? Either way, if she has it, your whole flock can now become infected.

 

[Isaac 0]

It does appear she has the cutaneous/dry form of Fowlpox.

There is no cure for Fowlpox as it's viral, but luckily after a few weeks/months it tends to subside, and disappear. If she is the only bird that currently has the lesions, it may be good to vaccinate the other birds to help prevent spread.

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=63c9bff7-0ae9-41a5-bce7-773d195ee78c

As for the chicken affected, it may be good to apply Terramycin, or an antibacterial ointment to the lesions, to help prevent ocular irritation, and tissue damage/infection. Iodine can also be used.

Keeping their feeders, and waterers clean, reducing mosquito populations if present, and occasionally offering the flock vitamins are some additional measurements you can take to help prevent spread, and reduce symptoms. Antibiotics are sometimes used if infection develops under the underlying lesions.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yep. Fowl Pox. Isaac's advice above is good, but as fowl pox remains in the environment, even after the affected bird has run a full course of it, its likely it will spread to the flock no matter what you do. If you have a small flock, and by description, it sounds that way, innoculation likely won't be cost effective either, assuming you can do it yourself.
get your terramycin and iodine ready, the weather is such that mosquitos likely won't be a vector, and simply prepare to offer supportive care as the infection works its way through your flock in the coming months.

Then delay as long as possible bringing new birds into the flock, unless you are willing to risk them continuing the cycle.

Fowl Pox has been shown to persist even in the scabs falling off infected birds - so once all evidence of it is gone from your flock, you will want to completely change out the bedding and surface of the run of straw, leaf litter, etc. Start over fresh.

 

[CharleQ]

Yes, that looks like fowl pox. Did you quarantine the new hens after you got them before adding them to the flock? Either way, if she has it, your whole flock can now become infected.

I did quarantine for little over two weeks. I’ve ordered the vaccine for the rest of the flock, I have not seen any spots on the others.

 

[CharleQ]

It does appear she has the cutaneous/dry form of Fowlpox.

There is no cure for Fowlpox as it's viral, but luckily after a few weeks/months it tends to subside, and disappear. If she is the only bird that currently has the lesions, it may be good to vaccinate the other birds to help prevent spread.

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=63c9bff7-0ae9-41a5-bce7-773d195ee78c

As for the chicken affected, it may be good to apply Terramycin, or an antibacterial ointment to the lesions, to help prevent ocular irritation, and tissue damage/infection. Iodine can also be used.

Keeping their feeders, and waterers clean, reducing mosquito populations if present, and occasionally offering the flock vitamins are some additional measurements you can take to help prevent spread, and reduce symptoms. Antibiotics are sometimes used if infection develops under the underlying lesions.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/

Thank you so much for replying. My gut told me that was what it had to be...unfortunately I wish there was more I could do for her. She misses her sisters. I’ve been putting ointment on her comb and cleaning around her poor eyes. Hoping these heal up quick and she become vibrant again!

 

[CharleQ]

Yep. Fowl Pox. Isaac's advice above is good, but as fowl pox remains in the environment, even after the affected bird has run a full course of it, its likely it will spread to the flock no matter what you do. If you have a small flock, and by description, it sounds that way, innoculation likely won't be cost effective either, assuming you can do it yourself.
get your terramycin and iodine ready, the weather is such that mosquitos likely won't be a vector, and simply prepare to offer supportive care as the infection works its way through your flock in the coming months.

Then delay as long as possible bringing new birds into the flock, unless you are willing to risk them continuing the cycle.

Fowl Pox has been shown to persist even in the scabs falling off infected birds - so once all evidence of it is gone from your flock, you will want to completely change out the bedding and surface of the run of straw, leaf litter, etc. Start over fresh.

Thank you for your response. Do you think seeing that the flock has been exposed, that keeping her isolated would still be smart?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you for your response. Do you think seeing that the flock has been exposed, that keeping her isolated would still be smart?

I've only had one experience with fowl pox. I knowingly brought a rooster recovering from fowl pox onto my property, quarantined him a couple hundred feet from the rest of the flock in his own run. It took him a couple days to figure out how to escape, and as I was quarantining myself (possible COVID exposure), there was nothing I had on hand to prevent further escapes and I couldn't go to town for alternatives, so...

That was almost two months ago. What I expected, after doing my research, was that fowl pox would very slowly make its way through the rest of my flock, that they would need support perhaps, but that fatalities were likely to be less than one bird, and the main effect would be reduced energy and egg laying - both things already going into decline as winter came on. Birds that survived it would have no permanent damage, and future immunity to this form of the disease.

In short, I accepted an educated risk, and rolled my dice.

He was allowed to join the flock.

Thus far, I've been VERY fortunate. No signs of it in the rest of my girls. If I'd had a bigger flock, more valuable chickens (prize winners/prime breeding stock)? I'd have culled him the first time he escaped and incinerated the corpse in a very, very hot fire - assuming I brought him onto my acreage at all.