Emergency disease

[Chad Nolen]

Help our chickens appear to have a severe disease. The rooster is the worse. Comb is all messed up and almost looks like legions on the comb and face. Any help is appreciated. Also appears a bunch of tail feathers are gone on rooster. How do we treat?

 

[dawg53]

It's fowl pox, caused mainly by mosquitos. It'll go away on its own in about a month or so. Fowl pox is a virus, antibiotics are ineffective treating it. However if one of your birds scratches a lesion near the eye for example, then apply neosporin to the scratch to prevent infection and heal it. Eggs are safe to eat.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Possibly fowl pox... Sorry you face this.

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/fowl-pox

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/fowlpox/fowlpox-in-chickens-and-turkeys

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

 

[Chad Nolen]

We do have a ton of mosquitos. More then ever this year. Your sure no cure for it?

 

[arrowti]

Viruses unfortunately cannot be treated by antibiotics. Medicine has not come along enough for antivirals to become common-place for us to treat livestock.

Make sure they have a clean coop, apply neosporin (or other antibiotic cream) without painkiller as needed on any open lesions. You can try adding ACV to their water which helps boost their immune system. An infection increases their chances of getting another disease, so it's important they have a clean, healthy environment until they recover.

Hopefully they recover soon.

 

[MROO]

We do have a ton of mosquitos. More then ever this year. Your sure no cure for it?

You may want to go through your yard looking for mosquito breeding spots. They'll breed in just about ANY standing water. Look for puddles, tires, buckets, even flower pot saucers. Anything that catches and holds rain can harbor mosquitos. If you see little "wormy" things flipping around in the water, you have mosquito larvae. At least those are easy to get rid of; all you have to do is dump and remove the container.
Good Luck!

 

[dawg53]

If you really want to boost their immune system, forget the ACV and give them buttermilk mixed in their feed to make a mash or cottage cheese.

 

[arrowti]

If you really want to boost their immune system, forget the ACV and give them buttermilk mixed in their feed to make a mash or cottage cheese.

I didn't know that! That's good to know.

I'm just imagining the stink though.

 

[dawg53]

I didn't know that! That's good to know.

I'm just imagining the stink though.

Dont worry you wont be eating it, will you?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I didn't know that! That's good to know.

I'm just imagining the stink though.

If you use ACV, it need to be raw with Mother.

I was also going to suggest that while you cannot treat with antibiotic, I would support their own immune system with probiotics.... such as fermented chicken feed (just by adding water, stirring and let sit a couple days), yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese, or even the acv. These foods are all fermented which produces probiotic activity. In fact each food might have a different active probiotic... as I know they don't all culture or grow the same (good) bacteria...

I might even offer some scrambled egg (treat/supplement amount).. as they are loaded with nutrients (vitamins and minerals, 34% protein). While I don't believe supplementing is needed for healthy birds, I do think it helps those who are compromised. Alternatively you could get and use poultry Nutri drench to support them through this time. Go easy on treats like scratch or corn as they are low in nutrients. Even though many of our feeds are made from mostly corn, it has added vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that scratch and grains do not.

I would not personally apply anything to the lesions as rubbing is a way to spread. And antibiotics kill good bacteria too not just the bad stuff. It's a personal choice though and I have never faced fowl pox in my chickens yet.

Interesting that chicken is what teaches me the real difference and understanding between bacterial and viral... the body stiff fights the infection by rallying T cells is my understanding.

Hope they recover quickly!