fowl pox

[gwright6]

Took my rooster to the vet today, she couldn't determine what was wrong with him. Gave him a shot of an antibiotic and sent me on my way . My daughter did some research and I think we have diagnosed Chuck. He has fowl pox. He has the symptom . The proactive thing to do is to vacs the flock, (not a fan of this idea). I checked everyone else no symptoms. I believe he has the dry fowl pox. It's a scab like condition on his comb. See pic. My question ... has anyone here every dealt with this condition? If so what was your protocol for recovery. Apparently, once they get it they are immune. ( by the way it is transmitted by a mosquito bite.). So with that being said any comments regarding your success in beating this current malady would be appreciated

 

[Eggcessive]

I cannot see the picture. Can you post one that we can see?

 

[dawg53]

I've dealt with Fowl Pox.
It'll slowly run through a flock, mosquitos are the vector. Scabs/lesions are infective. Dont waste your money going to a vet. Fowl pox is a virus and antibiotics are useless unless one of your birds scratched a lesion near an eye and it becomes infected.
It'll take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks for the virus to run its course. Birds will be irritable and may stop laying eggs until the disease passes. BTW, eggs are safe to eat.
I recommend that you put iodine on the scabs. Iodine will kill the virus infective scabs and the scabs will shrink and eventually disappear or drop off on the ground. Avoid the eyes at all costs when using iodine.
You can also use black shoe polish which will help shrink the scabs and deter other birds picking the scabs. Avoid the eyes.
Birds that eat the infective scabs can get wet fowl pox which is pretty much a death sentence due to fowl pox lesions growing in the mouth and esophagus causing blockage, which leads birds unable to eat. They starve to death and there is no treatment.

Dont bother with vaccinations. The vaccination only prevents fowl pox and possibly pigeon pox strains. There are other types of pox strains that birds can be infected with.
Once birds recover from fowl pox, they are immune to that particular strain thereafter.

I also recommend that you provide probiotics to your birds while they are infected to help their immune system during their time in stress.
I use ProBios dispersible powder as a top dressing on their feed, very easy to use.

 

[gwright6]

Thank you for your informative post. I feed my girls probiotics but I am going to check out your recommendation. What is your recommendation about getting the scab off of the infected bird so it doesn't drop and another bird eats it?

 

[Eggcessive]

I still cannot see the picture you posted. Here are some good articles showing fowl pox scabs, and more info about it, including vaccines:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/

http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/fowl-pox-backyard-flocks

 

[gwright6]

thank you, I have to go and get another pic ... I'll upload later today. Thanks for your help

 

[dawg53]

Thank you for your informative post. I feed my girls probiotics but I am going to check out your recommendation. What is your recommendation about getting the scab off of the infected bird so it doesn't drop and another bird eats it?

Never pull the scabs off, they will bleed. There is too much of a risk of bacterial infection. Much much worse for the virus entering the bloodstream, which will lead to certain death via wet pox, possibly other organs.
Besides, other birds will pick at a bloody chicken, spreading the virus further.