Hi all,
I have 3 birds with pox on their combs, faces, and feet.
These birds were breeders in separate pens from larger laying flocks.
The question is whether I should vaccinate the remaining layers, or just let it run its course through the flock.
If I did vaccinate, it looks like Chick-N-Pox TC is indicated for layers without withdrawl of eggs (whereas others seem contra-indicated for layers and/or require withdrawl).
It's not clear that Chick-N-Pox would give permanent immunity, whereas having the disease would. On the other hand, having the disease among about 2 dozen other birds would increase the amount of virus in the ground and make it more likely that future birds brought or hatched into the flock would get exposed.
Right now the unaffected birds are in hoop houses covered with shade cloth screen that should be fairly effective at keeping mosquitos (the main vector) out. But they are not without some holes and gaps, and virus may get tracked on peoples feet from the pens of the affected birds.
Of course, the afflicted birds are my most valuable birds (my Cream Legbars and a Delaware).
(All this is not in my backyard flock, but at the farm where I am keeping my breeders and overseeing the layer flocks).
I have 3 birds with pox on their combs, faces, and feet.
These birds were breeders in separate pens from larger laying flocks.
The question is whether I should vaccinate the remaining layers, or just let it run its course through the flock.
If I did vaccinate, it looks like Chick-N-Pox TC is indicated for layers without withdrawl of eggs (whereas others seem contra-indicated for layers and/or require withdrawl).
It's not clear that Chick-N-Pox would give permanent immunity, whereas having the disease would. On the other hand, having the disease among about 2 dozen other birds would increase the amount of virus in the ground and make it more likely that future birds brought or hatched into the flock would get exposed.
Right now the unaffected birds are in hoop houses covered with shade cloth screen that should be fairly effective at keeping mosquitos (the main vector) out. But they are not without some holes and gaps, and virus may get tracked on peoples feet from the pens of the affected birds.
Of course, the afflicted birds are my most valuable birds (my Cream Legbars and a Delaware).
(All this is not in my backyard flock, but at the farm where I am keeping my breeders and overseeing the layer flocks).
