Help! Help ! What is wrong?

[LindsaySinai]

Black sores, facial swelling, not laying, one is sneezing with white discharge out its eye. Some eyelids are swollen closed on the worst ones.

 

[JMarch]

could be a bad case of fowl pox- kind of like chicken pox for birds

 

[LindsaySinai]

Anything I can do for that?

 

[Wyandottes7]

It does look a lot like Fowl Pox. This fortunately isn't usually serious disease and often goes away on its own in 4-6 weeks. However, there are things that you can do to make your chickens more comfortable.

First, dab some iodine on the scabs. This will help them dry up and fall off. Putting petroleum jelly on the scabs can help them soften, and then you can gently remove them. This may allow the birds to see better.

Make sure that they are getting enough to eat and drink. Scabs may interfere with their vision. Give them more feeders or hand feed them. This is probably stressing them out, so treats and more deliecious food than just chicken feed may tempt them to eat more.

Add some electrolytes and probiotics to the water. This should help with the stress.

It may also be a good idea to give them some broad-spectrum antibiotics. Often times, a secondary infection in the form of a respiratory disease occurs with Fowl Pox. Antibiotics will help prevent that and cure it if they acquire one. Keep in mind that you can't give antibiotics while giving probiotics. Terramycin, Duramycin, and Erythromycin are all antibiotics you could try.

In 4-6 weeks, your birds should be fine once more. They will have gained a resistance to this strain of Fowl Pox.

Watch them closely for any signs of secondary infections, which could occur due to their weakened immune system.

Best wishes to you and your birds!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

It does look a lot like Fowl Pox. This fortunately isn't usually serious disease and often goes away on its own in 4-6 weeks. However, there are things that you can do to make your chickens more comfortable.

First, dab some iodine on the scabs. This will help them dry up and fall off. Putting petroleum jelly on the scabs can help them soften, and then you can gently remove them. This may allow the birds to see better.

Make sure that they are getting enough to eat and drink. Scabs may interfere with their vision. Give them more feeders or hand feed them. This is probably stressing them out, so treats and more deliecious food than just chicken feed may tempt them to eat more.

Add some electrolytes and probiotics to the water. This should help with the stress.

It may also be a good idea to give them some broad-spectrum antibiotics. Often times, a secondary infection in the form of a respiratory disease occurs with Fowl Pox. Antibiotics will help prevent that and cure it if they acquire one. Keep in mind that you can't give antibiotics while giving probiotics. Terramycin, Duramycin, and Erythromycin are all antibiotics you could try.

In 4-6 weeks, your birds should be fine once more. They will have gained a resistance to this strain of Fowl Pox.

Watch them closely for any signs of secondary infections, which could occur due to their weakened immune system.

Best wishes to you and your birds!

x2

 

[LindsaySinai]

Thank you!!! I really really appreciate the advice.