Update-New Chicken has Pox and Coccidiosis

[ChooksinIowa]

OEGBLady has some great advice for you there! She has been through this issue with her own birds and I watched the whole story from beginning to end. She went through it all and it was a rough time, but she came through stronger and more knowledgeable. Thank goodness she is here to help spread her experience!

I know fowl pox can seem overwhelming, especially when it starts spreading amongst your birds, but you just need to be vigilant with checking, always wash your hands after handling infected birds, keep them far away from your other birds, and treat it promptly and regularly.

Best of luck with it - it's a drag to have it but now you will know what to do and you can help others through it too.

 

[Feathered Wings]

Hey There miss Chooks

Thanks for the compliment you know where i've been and how happy i'am for it to be over

Good Luck Airheart keeping my

that everthing turns out good for you .

 

[cgmccary]

That is indeed Fowl Pox and the severity can vary greatly, so yes, there are "worse-looking" cases. Sometimes, a bird develops only a spot or two. It is spread by mosquitos and is common here in the Southeastern U.S. because we have a lot of such bugs.

The first time it appeared in my flock, I vaccinated all the birds and have not had it since.

The vaccination is by wing web and pretty simple.

 

[angels4]

Check out www.merckveterinarymanual.com There is a whole section on poultry and pox.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Thank you for the information oegblady. i tried to find your postings on Dave's Garden Poultry web, but since i'm not a member i couldn't use the search function. And then yesterday my computer, for no reason, decided not to connect to the internet.

i am hoping that having this one chicken (Buffington) isolated since we adopted her two weeks ago has given my other birds a chance to not contract the pox. She's in a separate coop and pen housed about 20-35 feet away from the other pens. Although, i had one chicken out yesterday wandering around who went over and pulled a piece of lettuce from under the infected chickens run and ate it.

This morning i'm taking Buffington into the vet to confirm things. Also taking one of my cats in for major surgery, so this is a stressful time in general. But it sounds like regardless, vaccinating the rest of my flock is a good idea. i can't seem to find anything on the vaccination method. i don't know what the "wing web" method means. Can anyone explain that or route me to a link that shows how to do it? i'm sure my vet will do it or know how. But if it's something i might be able to do myself, that would be better. Have spent so much money (that we don't have) at the vet lately, i'm getting worried.

Thanks so much for everyone's input. i wish now i hadn't added this chicken. i felt my EE Penny needed a friend as she lost hers. What she didn't need was a friend with cooties.

 

[Feathered Wings]

The Web stick method refers to a 2 prong needle that comes with the vaccine. The vaccine comes in 2 vials a dry and a wet you rehydrate the dry with the wet. You hold the chicken and spread the wing on the outside edge where it's feathers stick out you will see the web.
You have to remove a few small pin feathers to see it and Thats where you stick them.
You dip the double needles in the vaccine and it gets trapped in the slots on the needles. You then holding it erect being careful not turn it and stick it through the wing web. It will leave a blue spot like a tatoo.
I can give you more details when and if you decide to vaccinate.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Thanks oegblady. That sounds, um, unpleasant. i'm a bit of a weenie when it comes to needles.

i had to take one of my cats in for surgery this morning, and dropped off Buffington the chicken, too. If the vet finds it to be pox, i may see if she or a vet tech could assist with the vaccinations. i can't tell you how grateful i am to you and others on this board. Hope we have caught this in time to protect the rest of my flock.

i have read many times not to adopt an adult chicken, as it can have any number of diseases which could harm your existing flock. i've learned my lesson.

 

[Feathered Wings]

Good luck hope it's not Pox

You made a good point there and even though we love chickens the security of our flock should come first.
Because like you said you never know what you are bringing in.

The Pox my flock had came from Mosquito's it started back in Sept. went on thru Oct. and my last roo that had it was well first of Nov.
I have been raiseing chickens for 7 years and have never had anything this bad.
If i hadn't vaccinated the 50 chickens that hadn't came down with it theres is no telling how far it would have gone.

GOOD LUCK i will be checking in to see how it's going

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

The vet confirmed yesterday that Buffington does indeed have fowl pox. The vet tech told me when i went to pick up her and my cat (who just had surgery). She said the doctor is waiting to hear from her distributor about the vaccine, so i assume it needs to be ordered. She said the doctor will get back to me on Monday.

Monday seems like a long ways away to me, with the threat of fowl pox hanging over my other kids heads. Buffington is isolated in her own pen and coop, but we haven't been wearing hazmat gear when we go cage to cage. i told my husband to go into her cage last in the morning and not to touch her. i'm just so terrified about my other birds. My standards don't have any marks on their wattles, but most of my bantams don't have large enough wattles for me to see anything.

This has been just a horrible day. The pox, then the guy who cleans our aquarium told me today that stray voltage is somehow getting into our tank and killing our fish (???). Then the dishwasher repair guys found the reason our dishwasher isn't working is because a mouse has chewed through the water supply line and gallons of water have dumped into our foundation.

There truly is a pox upon our home.

 

[Feathered Wings]

I wouldn't worry to much if she has Dry Pox it will go away on it's own. If you isolated her from the start and its not Mosquito season there should be no spread.
Monday would be okay Fowl Pox moves very slowly through the flock. So chances are you will get them vaccinated before it has a chance to spread.
Just a note here you Can't Vaccinate the ones that have Pox they will have to go through it. But your others will be safe once they are vaccinated and you can relax.
Just be Thankful it's not Wet Pox i will tell anyone that is the most Heartbreaking and Devastating thing i have been through in the 7 years i've had chickens.

Will be checking in to see how things are going