Fowl pox?

[chickieshealing]

To answer one question I don't think was answered, yes, once they have had fowl pox, they are immune for life. For a straightforward case with no secondary infection, etc., it goes away rather suddenly in 3 weeks. My flock had it a few years ago and this is the way it worked here; fortunately, I didn't have a case of wet pox. I didn't isolate anyone, but then all or almost all of them had it.

Okay, good! Now will they be contagious in the future to babies or other chickens after it runs through the flock? Thanks for the info!

 

[casportpony]

Okay, good! Now will they be contagious in the future to babies or other chickens after it runs through the flock? Thanks for the info!

The scabs that fall off will be, I think.

-Kathy

 

[Eggcessive]

Okay, good! Now will they be contagious in the future to babies or other chickens after it runs through the flock? Thanks for the info!

Once they get fowl pox and get over it, they are immune, but not carriers of it. It is contagious while they have it, but it only lasts about 6 weeks. Any chickens that don't show symptoms should be vaccinated if you have a large population of mosquitoes.

 

[Judy]

Once they get fowl pox and get over it, they are immune, but not carriers of it. It is contagious while they have it, but it only lasts about 6 weeks. Any chickens that don't show symptoms should be vaccinated if you have a large population of mosquitoes.

I agree, except I was told the scabs would "magically" disappear in 3 weeks, and sure enough, on the 22nd or 23rd day there were suddenly no lesions. I never did vaccinate; maybe I should havve. It's been a few years since a large number of them had it. I've probably seen a few cases in younger birds since then, but never anything serious enough even to reuire treatment, just a few small, dry black lesions.

 

[chickieshealing]

Okay, I had another chicken die again today. I'm assuming the wet pox if they get sick in a day or two and then die? I already did parasite meds and wormer. Hopefully if I vaccinate it will take care of the wet pox. I don't know what else to do. I wanted to hatch babies, but can I give them the vaccine as well? Otherwise they will probably die too!

 

[Eggcessive]

I live in an area where I may see a single fowl pox scab on 2 or 3 chickens in a whole year, so I am not an expert on it. But some people live in regions where their chickens are covered with it, and the wet pox is so dangerous because of airway problems, and they can starve to death by not eating enough. Personally, if I had pox as you do in your flock right now, I would wait until it was finished. Then I would vaccinate any others that didn't get it, and any new flock members if any were added. I wouldn't breed and hatch chicks until the pox was over because chicks will get it and you will lose them. They need to be a certain age before vaccination, and I believe there needs to be 2 shots to be fully protected. Here is some info: http://posc.tamu.edu/files/2012/08/Fowl-pox.pdf
http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/avian/Fowlpox.pdf

 

[chickieshealing]

Yeah, well by the time I find out where in Thailand I get the vaccine, it will probably run its course anyways. This sucks! I hate mosquitos...I always hated them more than any other creature...but now I really hate them! How many diseases those things carry is incredible!

 

[chickieshealing]

Oh, and then I read I have to change the water 100 times a day because they mosquitos lay eggs in the water and then drink this fowl pox disease!

 

[casportpony]

I have many chickens, but not many mosquitos, so I had a small outbreak comared to what you'll probably get. Keep an eye on ones that start to looked depressed and if they do, you'll probably have to provide supportive care if you want them to live. In the end I lost two to dry pox because they starved to death and three to wet pox because they developed secondary bacterial infections that didn't respond to antibiotics.

-Kathy

 

[chickieshealing]

I live in an area where I may see a single fowl pox scab on 2 or 3 chickens in a whole year, so I am not an expert on it. But some people live in regions where their chickens are covered with it, and the wet pox is so dangerous because of airway problems, and they can starve to death by not eating enough. Personally, if I had pox as you do in your flock right now, I would wait until it was finished. Then I would vaccinate any others that didn't get it, and any new flock members if any were added. I wouldn't breed and hatch chicks until the pox was over because chicks will get it and you will lose them. They need to be a certain age before vaccination, and I believe there needs to be 2 shots to be fully protected. Here is some info: http://posc.tamu.edu/files/2012/08/Fowl-pox.pdf
http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/avian/Fowlpox.pdf

Thanks for this info...I am still having trouble getting the pdf downloaded. For some reason Acrobat is not opening it for me.