HELP! FOWL POX???

[Ashleys backyard farm]

I have a hen (stinky, yes that’s her name lol) and she’s been broody for a few weeks…ughh.

Well I went to gather eggs today and I looked at her and saw all these scabs on her face and comb and ear, BUT it’s only on this one side.

Is this fowl pox or just other chickens pecking her? She does hog one of the nesting boxes all day everyday lol.

If this is fowl pox, what do I do? I know it’s extremely contagious for my other flock members so what does treatment and prevention for the others look like?

 

[Eggcessive]

It does look like fowl pox virus, spread by mosquitoes. She probably was facing one side that the mosquitoes were on. There is no treatment. It takes a couple of weeks for chickens to recover, and most do. There is a wet form which causes yellow gunk inside the beak, and is more serious, but is less common. It can be contagious if scabs are pecked or disturbed, but the others may be stung and infected by mosquitoes as well. It is more serious for baby chicks, as they can get very swollen bumps over eyes or nostrils. Here is an article to read:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/

 

[Ashleys backyard farm]

It does look like fowl pox virus, spread by mosquitoes. She probably was facing one side that the mosquitoes were on. There is no treatment. It takes a couple of weeks for chickens to recover, and most do. There is a wet form which causes yellow gunk inside the beak, and is more serious, but is less common. It can be contagious if scabs are pecked or disturbed, but the others may be stung and infected by mosquitoes as well. It is more serious for baby chicks, as they can get very swollen bumps over eyes or nostrils. Here is an article to read:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/

I have a question that maybe you could help with concerning this issue…I quarantined the chicken with fowl pox, but now I see that another chicken has got white dots on her comb. Should I isolate her as well? And what do I do if more get fowl pox? Do I just keep isolating the ones that get it?

 

[nuthatched]

I have a question that maybe you could help with concerning this issue…I quarantined the chicken with fowl pox, but now I see that another chicken has got white dots on her comb. Should I isolate her as well? And what do I do if more get fowl pox? Do I just keep isolating the ones that get it?

It's spead by mosquitoes, it likely won't help you isolate. Maybe a big zapper in the coop will control some of the mosquitoes.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is pretty common for multiple chickens to get the mosquito bites that spread fowl pox. I wouldn’t isolate myself, because it can be hard to reintegrate back with pecking order issues. But that is up to you. The lost scabs after healing are still contagious after pox for months, so you may see many in the flock exposed. There is a vaccine for chicks over 8 weeks old who have not been exposed yet. But once chickens recover from the particular strain of pox going through your flock, they will later be immune to it. Good luck.

 

[Ashleys backyard farm]

It is pretty common for multiple chickens to get the mosquito bites that spread fowl pox. I wouldn’t isolate myself, because it can be hard to reintegrate back with pecking order issues. But that is up to you. The lost scabs after healing are still contagious after pox for months, so you may see many in the flock exposed. There is a vaccine for chicks over 8 weeks old who have not been exposed yet. But once chickens recover from the particular strain of pox going through your flock, they will later be immune to it. Good luck.

Thank you! Is the vaccine available without a vet prescription? I have 7 chickens including a rooster who are under 16 weeks of age.

 

[arazla]

I have the same questions and just found this thread. Also, I notice on the chicken chick's website, she recommends quite a high dosage of iodide to the water. We haven't started yet because I can't find any reference to research on a safe amount of potassium iodide for chickens.

 

[Ashleys backyard farm]

More members of my flock are coming down with Dry Pox now including 3 of my 15 week old chickens
Are they going to be ok since they’re still so young?
@Eggcessive

 

[Eggcessive]

They probably will be okay. It affects baby chicks more severly with large lesions and swelling around eyes and nostrils. But your 15 week olds should be of good size now. The vaccine is sold by online stores such as this one:
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail...eQZkl23p-jGy4Jeln8pHFXNy3woeL2NsaAif-EALw_wcB

Read the manufacturers info on that link on how to give. They are vaccines for 1000 doses and must be used within an hour after mixing. It is given with a tool in the wing web (videos are on YouTube.) Personally, I would skip the vaccine and let it run through the flock, since they would be immune to it in the future.

 

[Ashleys backyard farm]

Thank you so much for all your help! I’ll probably just let it run it’s course and keep monitoring everyone closely. I’ve been applying terramyacin to the ones who have spots worse than others. But I’m so relieved to hear that my lils will be ok