Recommendations for dry fowl pox?

[Daniellebell1]

Hello fellow chickenmates,

I have a flock of 4 hens, born in April. They are lovely, hilarious weirdos, and I'm fairly sure they have all got dry fowl pox.
Of course I thought it was just little marks from pecking injuries at first (Zippy's enthusiasm for treats is unparalleled. Even though she's not at the top of the pecking order, she will run and peck like crazy to get bits of grapes or blueberries or figs. The other ladies are a little more dignified.) But now those little white spots have progressed to scabby black ones. Mercifully, they do not have lesions on their tongues or throats, so we're not dealing with wet pox (thank heavens.)
My research on the interwebs has led to a slight overwhelm from recommendations and conflicting suggestions, including but not limited to:
-garlic
-green goo on the combs
-vitamin supplements in the water
-iodine on the scabs
-oxine in the water,
-pulling the scabs off and dabbing with neosporin
-bleach-cleaning the coop
-nothing to be done, just suck it up, buttercup

Actually, most of the sites emphasize prevention. And while I'm all for an ounce of prevention, we're definitely at the pound-of-cure stage now. And honestly, even the cleanest and most manicured of coops are susceptible to mosquito attacks here in Louisiana. C'est la vie.
So I turn to you, my wise fowl friends. What has worked for your chooks? For birds that free-range in the backyard during the day, how do you keep an eye on limiting the hot debris? Or now that everybody has it, does that part even matter? If there is something I should apply topically, how often?

with gratitude in advance,
Danielle

 

[coach723]

Do you have pictures of the scabs you can post?
In general, with dry pox I don't do anything. Make sure they are eating and drinking normally. The more you mess with the scabs the more likely to spread the virus. Only if one was really a problem would I consider applying anything to them. If any are near an eye, then I keep an eye on those to make sure that no secondary infection sets up in the eye. That is a possibility but it does not always happen. If it does happen you can use terramycin eye ointment, most Tractor Supply stores carry it.
Keeping feeders and waterers clean, keeping the area reasonably clean can help with spread. Most dry pox will resolve in a matter of weeks with no treatment.
Those that have it should be resistant to that strain and not get it again. My incidence was greatly reduced by installing window screen over all my coop openings (I just attach with screws and washers) to prevent mosquito's from getting to them while stationary on the roosts, which is when most bites happen. I also cover the door with a square of screen cut upwards in strips that hang down (like a carwash) so the birds can still go in and out, but the mosquitos are mostly stopped. If there is room in the coop for a safe fan to move air accross the roosts, that can also help prevent the mosquitos from being able to land on them. Thankfully I have not dealt with wet pox, and my birds with dry pox have recovered with no issues.