- Sep 27, 2007
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I have something nasty going through my flock. I'd appreciate it if anyone would comment on whether they think my diagnosis is correct, and any other comments on what I can do to stop it spreading.
My regular vets refuse to treat birds. Today, I emailed a vet client of mine BEGGING her to see the worst one affected - her eye was so swollen that it ruptured today. The vet hasn't responded yet. I'm also going to put in a call to the on-line chicken doctor. Anyway, I put the bird totally by herself, so that the others don't peck her bloody eye.
I THINK it's fowl pox, which is kind of strange that it's a problem now that the weather is much cooler, and I don't see mosquitoes. However, we've had several weeks of very, very gusty winds, and maybe it blew in from miles away?
Anyway, symptoms - affected chicks (approx. 14 weeks old) have their LEFT eye (it's ALWAYS the left eye), swollen shut. Right eye unaffected. Their appears to be yellow pus gluing the eye shut.
No coughs, sneezes, rales. On some of the birds, I can see tiny little black dots on their face, but nothing on other unfeathered parts of the body. They are thin, but are eating/drinking well. As there's no respiratory symptoms, I don't think it's CRD or coryza.
Poo is normal.
Diet: Good quality 20% grower crumbles. The same as I've used successfully to raise many healthy birds.
The first bird with a swollen eye died. I saw the next bird with foamy eye, and isolated him, I think as soon as he started showing symptoms. He's been treated for almost 3 weeks, and is doing fine - but his eye looks still a little "weak" and watery, so I'm not letting him go back in with the others.
Currently, I have 6 birds affected. I keep the affected birds together, away from the rest of the flock.
If it is pox, I know that there is no treatment other than vaccinating the rest of the flock. However, in total, I have approx. 850 birds, so that prospect is overwhelming.
As I think there's some secondary eye infection, I've been treating with terramycin opthalmic ointment, some prednisone eye drops to hopefully reduce the swelling in the one with the most swollen eye, and oxytetracycline in their water. Although I know it will do nothing for pox, at least it will get any other infection?
Comments?
My regular vets refuse to treat birds. Today, I emailed a vet client of mine BEGGING her to see the worst one affected - her eye was so swollen that it ruptured today. The vet hasn't responded yet. I'm also going to put in a call to the on-line chicken doctor. Anyway, I put the bird totally by herself, so that the others don't peck her bloody eye.
I THINK it's fowl pox, which is kind of strange that it's a problem now that the weather is much cooler, and I don't see mosquitoes. However, we've had several weeks of very, very gusty winds, and maybe it blew in from miles away?
Anyway, symptoms - affected chicks (approx. 14 weeks old) have their LEFT eye (it's ALWAYS the left eye), swollen shut. Right eye unaffected. Their appears to be yellow pus gluing the eye shut.
No coughs, sneezes, rales. On some of the birds, I can see tiny little black dots on their face, but nothing on other unfeathered parts of the body. They are thin, but are eating/drinking well. As there's no respiratory symptoms, I don't think it's CRD or coryza.
Poo is normal.
Diet: Good quality 20% grower crumbles. The same as I've used successfully to raise many healthy birds.
The first bird with a swollen eye died. I saw the next bird with foamy eye, and isolated him, I think as soon as he started showing symptoms. He's been treated for almost 3 weeks, and is doing fine - but his eye looks still a little "weak" and watery, so I'm not letting him go back in with the others.
Currently, I have 6 birds affected. I keep the affected birds together, away from the rest of the flock.
If it is pox, I know that there is no treatment other than vaccinating the rest of the flock. However, in total, I have approx. 850 birds, so that prospect is overwhelming.
As I think there's some secondary eye infection, I've been treating with terramycin opthalmic ointment, some prednisone eye drops to hopefully reduce the swelling in the one with the most swollen eye, and oxytetracycline in their water. Although I know it will do nothing for pox, at least it will get any other infection?
Comments?
