Is this fowl pox or something else

[KlinoClucks]

Hey all!
Have a question for you all. I need some help identifying strange blue/black lesions on an all of our chickens faces. And treatment options. I’m not sure if it’s fowl pox or not so if you have any suggestions I’d be grateful!

 

[Kiki]

Looks like fowl pox to me.

 

[KlinoClucks]

I live pretty remote and with slow postal service; is there anything I can do to help? One of the hen’s eyes are almost completely closed over with it. Will it get better?

 

[SmiYa0126]

@Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive please help!

 

[azygous]

Sure looks like fowl pox to me, too. There is no cure but you might lessen the duration by using a drying agent on the lesions such as iodine or Blu-kote. Be careful not to break the lesions open as that's how it can spread.

You can order fowl pox vaccine online to prevent future outbreaks.

 

[dawg53]

It's definitely dry fowl pox, a bad case of it. I've dealt with it. As mentioned by @azygous, you can apply iodine to the lesions in order to kill the virus and the lesions will shrink and disappear, avoid the eyes. Otherwise the disease will run its course and go away on its own in about 6 weeks, and the lesions will drop off or shrink and disappear. Your birds will be immune to that particular strain thereafter. Mosquitos are the main vector for fowl pox. You can put a tiny amount of Neosporin in the eye(s) to prevent a bacterial infection if a bird scratches near an eye.

Untreated lesions will eventually fall off onto the ground and are very infective. If a bird picks up a lesion and eats it, there's a good possibility the bird will contract wet fowl pox which is more serious and deadly. Lesions will appear in the mouth and spread to the esophagus preventing the bird from eating and swallowing. Death is by starvation. Be aware of this possibility.
It's always best to apply iodine on all the lesions, except around the eyes as mentioned.
Eggs are safe to eat. The disease is not contagious to humans nor mammals, only birds.

 

[KlinoClucks]

Wow, thank you all so much!
Since most of them already have it, should I isolate the infected birds? I feel a little reluctant to at this point because my other coop isn’t all that chicken worthy at the moment

 

[dawg53]

Wow, thank you all so much!
Since most of them already have it, should I isolate the infected birds? I feel a little reluctant to at this point because my other coop isn’t all that chicken worthy at the moment

No, there is no need to isolate infected birds. Mosquitos are most likely spreading the disease.
You might want to consider adding flexible window screen on all the coop vents to deter mosquitos. See post #4 in this for pics:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mosquitoes.1474511/#post-24567978

 

[KlinoClucks]

That sounds interesting. It’s funny though because we don’t have any mosquitoes this time of year. We had an almost plague of them about 3 months ago, but none now. Will definitely see what I can do to boost their immunity.
Also, one of the hens didn’t eat this morning, although we did get her to drink some water. Is that something to be concerned about?

 

[KlinoClucks]

Maybe because she’s struggling to see could be the reason why she isn’t really eating or drinking, perhaps?