Is this Fowl Pox??? Please help

[Perris]

@coach723 can you help here please?

 

[coach723]

I have not dealt with we pox, only dry. IF that is what it is, there is no treatment other than supportive care. Do you have pictures of the second chick? In one of your pictures it looks like there are veins in the growth? (I marked it below). Very hard to tell, but if that is the case then it could be a tumorous growth rather than pox. Is vet care an option for you? Another possibility is a sinus infection due to a respiratory virus, or other cause. But I don't see any facial swelling. A link with some pictures of wet pox for comparison:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-graphic-pictures-under-construction.47704/
This is a case where I think a vet would be the best option, to narrow it down. If it's tumerous then digging at it could cause significant bleeding, and with the difficulty breathing, I would want to know.
This is the picture where I thought I could maybe see veins:

 

[azygous]

Given where you live, and if you have mosquitoes, there's a good chance this is fowl pox. It looks much worse than it is. You can treat it with iodine which will help dry it up, making it clear up more quickly. But, as @coach723 says, there is no cure, although future chicks could be vaccinated against it, if I remember correctly and am not thinking of something else.

You can try to prevent other chickens from getting it by mitigating the mosquito problem. Good news is this chicken will be resistant to future attacks.

 

[monaelisac]

I have not dealt with we pox, only dry. IF that is what it is, there is no treatment other than supportive care. Do you have pictures of the second chick? In one of your pictures it looks like there are veins in the growth? (I marked it below). Very hard to tell, but if that is the case then it could be a tumorous growth rather than pox. Is vet care an option for you? Another possibility is a sinus infection due to a respiratory virus, or other cause. But I don't see any facial swelling. A link with some pictures of wet pox for comparison:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-graphic-pictures-under-construction.47704/
This is a case where I think a vet would be the best option, to narrow it down. If it's tumerous then digging at it could cause significant bleeding, and with the difficulty breathing, I would want to know.
This is the picture where I thought I could maybe see veins:
View attachment 2233451

Yes there is some veins there, but a tumor could have grown this quickly within a weeks time? That's what has me ruling it out. I called all my vets in my area, and none of them take in chickens. I have a family friend that is a vet and i'm sending him pictures. Hopefully he can help out. Thank you so much for all your advice! It really has been helpful.

 

[monaelisac]

Given where you live, and if you have mosquitoes, there's a good chance this is fowl pox. It looks much worse than it is. You can treat it with iodine which will help dry it up, making it clear up more quickly. But, as @coach723 says, there is no cure, although future chicks could be vaccinated against it, if I remember correctly and am not thinking of something else.

You can try to prevent other chickens from getting it by mitigating the mosquito problem. Good news is this chicken will be resistant to future attacks.

Yea due to the bad rains, the mosquitoes have been an issue and wild birds have figured out that they can enjoy some of the chicken feed as well. I read fowl pox can come from wild birds as well.

Thank you, it's just so scary to see that huge thing in her mouth and all those scabs on her. I also haven't dealt with many illnesses so this has been a shock. I guess as your flock grows, problems accumulate as well.

 

[azygous]

Yes, that's the thing about starting out with chickens. There really does always seem to be one thing or another to deal with. That's why you come here. We've made the mistakes and learned lessons that can shorten your learning curve, and we also provide sympathy and understanding. The latter counts just as much as the learning part.

 

[coach723]

Yes there is some veins there, but a tumor could have grown this quickly within a weeks time?

Yes, it possibly could. They can grow fast or slow. I recently lost a beloved dog to bone cancer. Her mass was smaller than a golf ball when found and larger than a grapefruit in 4 weeks. It may not be a tumor, but I would want to rule it out before doing anything to it. I hope your vet friend is able to help.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with the others that it looks like pox. Is the lesion right on the beak, not really inside but on the edge? Hopefully, that is just a dry pox scab that has become very large. Still, it may cause problems eating and drinking. Are there any yellow lesions inside her beak? Pox in young chicks, even the dry pox, is very serious. The lesions can block the eyesight and nostrils, causing breathing issues and not being able to find food and water. Hopefully, you can nurse her through the normal 3 weeks it takes to get over. Here is some info about both dry and wet pox:
http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/fowl-pox-backyard-flocks

 

[monaelisac]

I am purchasing the fowl pox vaccine and going to vaccine everyone without symptoms just in case. Even this isn't fowl pox, this scare has been a good motivator to get everyone in check.

I'll update you guys on her progress in case anyone in the future may use this thread. Hopefully, I manage to have her recover.

Thanks again for all the advice and messages. It means a lot, I'm the only person I know where I live that is into chickens, so I don't have anyone to ask for help and I'm a newbie.

 

[chkncrazy]

I am purchasing the fowl pox vaccine and going to vaccine everyone without symptoms just in case. Even this isn't fowl pox, this scare has been a good motivator to get everyone in check.

I'll update you guys on her progress in case anyone in the future may use this thread. Hopefully, I manage to have her recover.

Thanks again for all the advice and messages. It means a lot, I'm the only person I know where I live that is into chickens, so I don't have anyone to ask for help and I'm a newbie.
How are things going????