Looking for insight and advice on possible Fowlpox.

[mossyhen]

Hello!

Yesterday I was assessing my chickens before letting them out of the coop and I noticed that one of my girls has something going on with her wattle and nose area. Googling it makes me feel like this could be Fowlpox, and I’m just wondering what steps I should take from here if so.

Some info about her first:

- She’s a 5 month old Buff Orpington, and while I don’t have a weight on her, I can tell she’s on par with the 5 other chickens.
- This is a new development. I’ve only noticed it within the past day or so.
- The other birds looked fine when I checked them out yesterday, but I’m keeping a close eye and will reassess when they all wake up.
- She’s acting normal. Eating and drinking fine as far as I can tell. Poop is hard to monitor due to free ranging, but the stuff in the coop all looks normal.
- I haven’t administered any aid yet. If it’s treatable without vet assistance then that’s preferable, however, I know of a farm vet that makes house calls for livestock so I have options if it’s needed.
- The 6 girls have an 8x8 coop that has a sand floor that is kept clean. They have free access to the fenced in acre backyard each day all day.

Here are a few shots I took of Betty yesterday morning:

Thank you for any assistance or insight anyone has to offer!

 

[HollowOfWisps]

It does look like dry fowl pox. It is spread usually by mosquitos and can take up to two months for it to pass. As far as treatment you can clean the scabs with iodine or if you are like me and allergic to iodine I use chlorhexidine. The dry version is usually not as concerning as the wet and something you just have to let run its course.

 

[dawg53]

Fowl pox is a virus and will run its course in about 6 weeks. Your birds will be immune to fowl pox strain after it passes. Eggs are safe to eat. I've dealt with it.