Lumps on eyelid

[Weetamoo93]

Thanks, @coach723. I was leaning toward just letting her keep with the others and monitoring her (and everyone). Considering my location and overall poultry goals, I may still consider vaccinating future flock additions. It seems like a good inexpensive insurance agaisnt a potentially big problem.

 

[Weetamoo93]

No new lesions. Looks like we're entering the "scab" stage. She has seemed unbothered and her usual self thru all this.

Still no signs on other flock members.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Day 10 of dry pox on eyelid. I know her eye was open this morning when I moved the chickens to their mobile run, but looked sealed shut when I locked them in the coop for the night. I'll reread those articles linked earlier in the thread.

I sprayed her eye with some Vetericyn, since it was readily available in my shed, and it loosened up the lid. Her eye looks fine, not much discharge. I think it is just be a question of discomfort with discharge from irritation versus infection.


These, and the one near her nostril, are still the only obvious spots and she is still the only bird affected.

All birds are being offered Poultry Cell until this clears up as a boost to everyone's health. I make a little at a time so it can be frequently refreshed.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I'm glad she and your flock are all doing well. I usually separate my infected chickens or chicken, giving a buddy if they are the only one infected -Not too far from flock in a nice quiet location- Mine usually don't feel 100% and appreciate the time away. I love that you put them on vitamins. Bravo. If another chicken pecks and eats the scab, like chickens do they can get the pox too. Traveling via mosquito and scab. I reintroduce in about 2 weeks after scabs fall off. It can get pretty nasty infecting a flock so I prefer to play it a little safer. Can't help chicken clicks no matter what little weirdos is what they are lol but we love them.

 

[Weetamoo93]

I usually separate my infected chickens or chicken, giving a buddy if they are the only one infected -Not too far from flock in a nice quiet location- Mine usually don't feel 100% and appreciate the time away.

The book I'm reading did just cover how chickens tend to mask their discomfort, so her behavior could be a bit of a facade.

Since her eye is closing, I'll probably lock her with what I suspect is the bottom hen in the coop run while everyone else mingles in the mobile. So she'll have most the day to herself until their free range and roosting time.

As far as transmission, mosquitoes are active nearly year round here, so if the rest of the flock hasn't been exposed yet, it's really only a matter of time.

 

[TropicalBabies]

The book I'm reading did just cover how chickens tend to mask their discomfort, so her behavior could be a bit of a facade.

Since her eye is closing, I'll probably lock her with what I suspect is the bottom hen in the coop run while everyone else mingles in the mobile. So she'll have most the day to herself until their free range and roosting time.

As far as transmission, mosquitoes are active nearly year round here, so if the rest of the flock hasn't been exposed yet, it's really only a matter of time.

We get really thick mosquitos here too... horrible things and I worry. My flock is a little solvent, I have young ones that are constantly moving out so I don't think it practical for me to vaccinate. My #'s are not big enough to be able to spread the cost. It is $27 for the vaccine here, some people don't want their birds vaccinated or want to pay more. Maybe if I have a bad enough experience I will change my mind but like @Eggcessive I just deal with it. I use my horses Ecovet fly spray on the roosts, legs and sometimes butts of chickens. Or spray around a door or something. I have open coops so I am less likely to overwhelm them with the fumes especially if i spray 10 minutes b4 they roost. If someone gets the pox, like you I put everybody on vitamins, separate and wait it out. I also just got a bug light and have clip on fans ordered. I'm hoping to worry less soon. Good luck and thanks for keeping us posted!!! And being good to your chickens

 

[coach723]

I'm in Florida, so during some parts of the year the mosquito's are really bad. I put window screen over all my coop openings ( I just use screws and washers ) and it helps a lot to keep them out of the coop. Most of the bites happen at night while the birds are stationary and roosting. I cut a rectangle of screen, cut it in strips up to about 1 - 2 inches from the top and then attach that to the top of their pop door with the strips hanging down. They can still go in and out but it stops the majority of the mosquitoes. I also have fans that move the air over the roosts, making it harder for the mosquito's to land on them. Those two things greatly reduced my incidence of pox. The screens do collect dirt and dust so have to be cleaned off more often to keep your ventilation good. You can use a stiff brush, or vacuum them.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Update on the hen, "Poxey" (so creative, I know, but it was just 003 or "Olive-Legs" before), her scabs fell off Thursday (November 19) in the run with others since I forgot to separate her. She's doing fine and still one of the bossy hens of the group. Her eye looks funny with the new skin.

Still no sign in other birds, but we're all done here. I'd say two weeks recovery isn't bad.