Fowl Pox and Lice - Urgent Help Please

[thailand]

Hi,

I believe my rooster and hen have the beginnings of Fowl Pox (dry). Today I've treated with Betadine and Terramycin. However, I think they, and my other two unaffected hens may also have a worm/lice problem. One of the unaffected hens is seriously molting and is also a bit thin after a very long time of being broody.

My question is: Is it a good idea to give them Piperazine and then 14 days later Ivermectin or Cydectin to worm/de-lice them? Or are they already stressed enough for the moment. I don't want to cause them further harm, especially if their immunity is down because of the Pox. The vet recently saw what she thought was lice on a hen that died just last week from suspected Avian Malaria. (I'm now wondering if that was Pox as well....hmmmmm...although I don't recall her having any white spots).

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

 

[dawg53]

Hi,

I believe my rooster and hen have the beginnings of Fowl Pox (dry). Today I've treated with Betadine and Terramycin. However, I think they, and my other two unaffected hens may also have a worm/lice problem. One of the unaffected hens is seriously molting and is also a bit thin after a very long time of being broody.

My question is: Is it a good idea to give them Piperazine and then 14 days later Ivermectin or Cydectin to worm/de-lice them? Or are they already stressed enough for the moment. I don't want to cause them further harm, especially if their immunity is down because of the Pox. The vet recently saw what she thought was lice on a hen that died just last week from suspected Avian Malaria. (I'm now wondering if that was Pox as well....hmmmmm...although I don't recall her having any white spots).

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

There's not much you can do about dry fowl pox, it best to let it run it's course and will go away on its own in a few weeks. Fowl pox is a virus and antibiotics are useless. Antibiotics would be used for a secondary infections when dealing with fowl pox, like for a scratch that might get infected for example.
As far as your hen in molt and especially after being broody, I would not worm her, it would be too much stress on her system. You might consider providing her with feed that contains extra protein which will encourage feather regrowth. Closely and visually inspect ALL your birds for lice, you can see them crawling on your birds. That's the only way to tell if they have them except excessive feather loss or scratching/preening, closely inspect their vent area and base of tail feathers. Ivermectin and cydectin will not kill chicken lice because chicken lice do not suck blood. Both of those products will kill blood sucking lice on cattle because they are a different type of lice that chickens do not get. However, if you see mites on your chickens, the ivermectin or cydectin will kill them because chicken mites do suck blood. For chicken lice, there are poultry dusting powders and dips such as Adams Flea and Tick dip that could be used to free your birds from lice. You will have to redust them in 7-10 days and inside their coops as well including nests and roosts.
Once you treat your birds for the lice problem (if they have them,) then consider worming them with piperazine, then the ivermectin.