Vaccination for Fowl Pox

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I live in central Arkansas in a densely wooded area.

No matter how much we have battled the woods I feel like the mosquitoes are getting worse every year.

I get torn up by them anytime I’m around the coop (or anywhere on the property actually) and I’m worried about my chickens getting Fowl Pox.
I’ve never heard of this happening to anyone but I’m also extremely new to chicken owning.

All the farm stores around here do not carry the vaccine and half of them had no idea there was a vaccine even for chickens.

Is this something I should do??

I’m late to the vaccination however as my 9 chickens are 19 weeks old and 1 is laying already.
The other are only 11-12 weeks.

I’ve read up a lot on small pox and how the vaccine didn’t help and basically made everything worse but this was also in the early years and the first vaccine ever made. But it was a live virus which isn’t common practice anymore.

Either way the knowledge is fresh in my mind and I’m afraid to vaccinate and to not vaccinate since I don’t know much about this disease in my area specifically and since some are out of the “age window”.

What should I do?!

 

[azygous]

You have the info on the original small pox vaccine wrong. It was wildly successful, and while people were a bit put off at first by it being a live vaccine, they quickly decided the vaccine was far less of a worry than the actual disease which was perfectly hideous. I remember getting the small pox vaccination when I was in fourth grade. We would slug each other in the vaccinated arm to bust the pustule and inflict pain on each other. Kids are peculiar little creatures.

But fowl pox is in no way related to small pox. It is carried by mosquitoes and it can be passed from chicken to chicken, as well. It's wise to vaccinate your flock. You can get the vaccine here. https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=63C9BFF7-0AE9-41A5-BCE7-773D195EE78C

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

The book cited all its medical sources. The vaccine caused more death then prevention. It was the change in sanitary conditions that helped the most. And due to the creation of the small pox vaccine (which it was thought if you were infected with cow pox you’d be immune small pox) it actually caused a lot more death and created new diseases humans could get from animals.

Regardless I know the two are not related but I’m not a supporter of vaccines so I don’t want to needlessly vaccinate my flock and cause more issues.

I also need to know more on if it’s possible to vaccine my laying Pullets and how to go about all that since it’s a live virus.

 

[Eggcessive]

We would all probably be extinct if it weren’t for small pox variolization in the 1700’s and later, vaccines. Fox pox vaccine is usually not used that much unless one lives in a tropical area where it is very bad (for example Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and the tropics.) If you would like to see some really bad fowl pox pictures Google “wet and dry fowl pox” to read Casportpony’s thread. Here it is:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...pox-graphic-pictures-of-pus-and-scabs.818895/

That might change your mind about vaccines.

 

[azygous]

I don't usually contradict a thread owner. I dislike squabbles on this site. They aren't productive as a rule. However, when saying nothing risks allowing the perpetuation of disinformation that has the potential to influence negatively and cause harm, I will go to the mat fighting.

Here is the history of small pox. https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/history/history.html The first vaccinations were crude but surprisingly effective. Indeed, the truth is that far more people were saved by vaccination from a horrible disfiguring and deadly disease than the vaccinations harmed. The same is true for every new vaccination developed in modern times.

It's your decision to vaccinate your flock or not. However, when a deadly disease is running rampant on the planet, it is the responsibility of each citizen of the Earth to inform themselves from reputable sources (NOT Facebook) and do whatever is required of them as a citizen of the Earth to protect themselves and their fellow citizens.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I don't usually contradict a thread owner. I dislike squabbles on this site. They aren't productive as a rule. However, when saying nothing risks allowing the perpetuation of disinformation that has the potential to influence negatively and cause harm, I will go to the mat fighting.

Here is the history of small pox. https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/history/history.html The first vaccinations were crude but surprisingly effective. Indeed, the truth is that far more people were saved by vaccination from a horrible disfiguring and deadly disease than the vaccinations harmed. The same is true for every new vaccination developed in modern times.

It's your decision to vaccinate your flock or not. However, when a deadly disease is running rampant on the planet, it is the responsibility of each citizen of the Earth to inform themselves from reputable sources (NOT Facebook) and do whatever is required of them as a citizen of the Earth to protect themselves and their fellow citizens.

No Facebook just real book.
You also cannot take the CDC’s word when it comes to vaccines.
They will never report the truth when it comes down to it.
This is why vaccine related injuries and deaths aren’t reported on solely because of a law that says they cannot be held liable.
There was a huge link between vaccination and deaths from those vaccinated.

I’m sure if they had Facebook back in the 1800s they might have thought differently on vaccination.
However they literally had the worst sanitation, poor living conditions, horrible jobs with zero hazard considerations, contaminated food, contaminated water, etc.
It’s not the same with today’s standard of living. Things are done differently but by how much when it comes to vaccines???

REGARDLESS - This is not a human vaccine question but one of chickens and if they are past the recommended age and laying can they still be vaccinated - no one has answered me in this

 

[azygous]

Chickens can be vaccinated at any time for fowl pox.

Just because someone got a publisher to print their misguided notions in a book does not make it the truth. The humans in the CDC may not be perfect, may make mistakes from time to time, but they are fundamentally devoted to the truth and protecting the health of the people of the US using the latest science. They also work closely with scientists and other health agencies around the world. If you choose not to trust this agency, then you risk being truly lost in space.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Chickens can be vaccinated at any time for fowl pox.

Just because someone got a publisher to print their misguided notions in a book does not make it the truth. The humans in the CDC may not be perfect, may make mistakes from time to time, but they are fundamentally devoted to the truth and protecting the health of the people of the US using the latest science. They also work closely with scientists and other health agencies around the world. If you choose not to trust this agency, then you risk being truly lost in space.

The information in the book isn’t strictly author opinion it comes from information that was from medical articles and it’s all clearly cited. Especially for medical pages submitted back in the 1800s.
I’ve yet to see the cdc cite their sources. Besides “because we said so”.
As they say “you can’t put your eggs all in one basket” Trust no one - do your own research.

 

[BecaHawaii]

I live in central Arkansas in a densely wooded area.

No matter how much we have battled the woods I feel like the mosquitoes are getting worse every year.

I get torn up by them anytime I’m around the coop (or anywhere on the property actually) and I’m worried about my chickens getting Fowl Pox.
I’ve never heard of this happening to anyone but I’m also extremely new to chicken owning.

All the farm stores around here do not carry the vaccine and half of them had no idea there was a vaccine even for chickens.

Is this something I should do??

I’m late to the vaccination however as my 9 chickens are 19 weeks old and 1 is laying already.
The other are only 11-12 weeks.

I’ve read up a lot on small pox and how the vaccine didn’t help and basically made everything worse but this was also in the early years and the first vaccine ever made. But it was a live virus which isn’t common practice anymore.

Either way the knowledge is fresh in my mind and I’m afraid to vaccinate and to not vaccinate since I don’t know much about this disease in my area specifically and since some are out of the “age window”.

What should I do?!

Oh, get them vaccinated!