Quick question about fowl pox.

[Elizabethwood09]

If I adopt 2 chickens who previously recovered from fowlpox will my flock definitely get it from them (even after quarantine and all that)?

 

[feather13]

I'm not an expert, but we had a "wet" Fowlpox outbreak several years ago. Some chickens died and some survived. Since then, however, we've not had any issues (fingers crossed). My guess is that quarantining sick ones will be sufficient (although maybe depends on if their Fowlpox is "wet" or "dry"?)

Personally, I would never again adopt chickens because of the risk of disease, especially Mareks (which our flock has )

I hope someone else can reply who has more expertise than me!

 

[Elizabethwood09]

I'm not an expert, but we had a "wet" Fowlpox outbreak several years ago. Some chickens died and some survived. Since then, however, we've not had any issues (fingers crossed). My guess is that quarantining sick ones will be sufficient (although maybe depends on if their Fowlpox is "wet" or "dry"?)

Personally, I would never again adopt chickens because of the risk of disease, especially Mareks (which our flock has )

I hope someone else can reply who has more expertise than me!
[/QUOTE

Thank you, that's kind of what I was thinking. I think I will not even take a chance of exposing my flock.

 

[feather13]

Thank you, that's kind of what I was thinking. I think I will not even take a chance of exposing my flock.

Our flock got Mareks and Fowlpox at the same time we brought home new chicks from a hatchery we'd been using for years. Reviews on Yelp from that time until the present say that they also got chicks infected with Mareks from the same hatchery, so we're guessing that was the source. It was a nightmare watching chicks and hens die one after one from these two awful diseases. Once you have Mareks in your flock, you can never let anyone with chickens near your coop and you have to know that any new birds, even those vaccinated for Mareks, will be exposed and possibly contract this virus.

I really don't mean to scare you, but it looks from your signature line that you have 10 birds in your flock. I'd be so careful about adding any new ones even if it's the kind thing to do to adopt birds that have been neglected or are sick. Fowlpox is treatable, but also not something you'd want the birds you already have to get.

 

[Elizabethwood09]

Our flock got Mareks and Fowlpox at the same time we brought home new chicks from a hatchery we'd been using for years. Reviews on Yelp from that time until the present say that they also got chicks infected with Mareks from the same hatchery, so we're guessing that was the source. It was a nightmare watching chicks and hens die one after one from these two awful diseases. Once you have Mareks in your flock, you can never let anyone with chickens near your coop and you have to know that any new birds, even those vaccinated for Mareks, will be exposed and possibly contract this virus.

I really don't mean to scare you, but it looks from your signature line that you have 10 birds in your flock. I'd be so careful about adding any new ones even if it's the kind thing to do to adopt birds that have been neglected or are sick. Fowlpox is treatable, but also not something you'd want the birds you already have to get.

I was going to buy 2 one year old hens who I was told were healthy. Then the owner mentioned that they had recovered from fowl pox just a month or so before. I decided to ask on here real quick before I went through with the purchase and I'm very glad I did. Needless to say I did not end up buying them. Thanks again for the advice!

 

[coach723]

Fowl pox is transmitted by an insect bite, usually a mosquito, or by the scabs when they fall off an infected bird. If the birds do not have active fowl pox, then they can't give it to your other birds. Birds that recover have some resistance to the virus and should not get it again.
Quarantining is a good idea for other virus possiblilities, like Marek's or respiratory disease, which can have symptoms surface during times of stress. Fowl pox is not one of the virus's that leave the birds 'carriers' and are infectious for life.

 

[Elizabethwood09]

Fowl pox is transmitted by an insect bite, usually a mosquito, or by the scabs when they fall off an infected bird. If the birds do not have active fowl pox, then they can't give it to your other birds. Birds that recover have some resistance to the virus and should not get it again.
Quarantining is a good idea for other virus possiblilities, like Marek's or respiratory disease, which can have symptoms surface during times of stress. Fowl pox is not one of the virus's that leave the birds 'carriers' and are infectious for life.

Thank you! I'm still good with my decision not to buy the two hens but I will definitely keep this in mind for the future!