Wet and Dry Fowl Pox - Graphic Pictures of Pus and Scabs

[MrsBachbach]

Hen #1 - Both wet and dry pox

OMG! That looks horrible. I have often wondered if my birds may have a form of dry pox and have often wondered what the wet form was supposed to look like. Thanks for the pics. I can honestly say, I have not seen that in my birds thank goodness. If I have a dry form here, it is very, very mild.

 

[chickenlove7]

Is this wet or dry pox?
Do I remove it from the rest of the birds?
Can I treat it?
The bird started growing again after it stopped for 2-3 months. Does that mean it's healing?
What should I do with the birds that were with it?
Please help! Thankyou

 

[dawg53]

That is dry pox. When there are lesions in the mouth, it is wet pox.
Do not remove dry pox lesions. They will eventually go away on their own in about a month more or less. Lesions in the mouth can be removed but there will be bleeding. Some people have used mouthwash or iodine to swab the mouth after removing the lesions. Wet pox lesions can prevent birds from swallowing food, starving them to death.
Fowl pox is a virus, there isn't any treatment. However you can put black shoe polish or iodine on the warts/nodules to help them dry quicker. Avoid the eyes and nostrils if you do this.

 

[chickenlove7]

Should i still remove the bird from the coop so its not around the others?

 

[MrsBachbach]

Should i still remove the bird from the coop so its not around the others?

Jmo, but, mosquitoes spread the disease, although the scabs are infectious, so you may not be able to stop the spread, unless you can get rid of mosquitoes. The bird would be away from the flock for a long long time, which wouldn't be good for the bird. If it was me, I would find a pen adjacent to the other birds so they could see each other, or perhaps find a roomy cage you could put inside the pen and isolate him that way? I guess when it comes to the scabs, you don't want the other birds pecking them so make sure the other birds can't reach the bird in the cage and clean the area up thoroughly when he is healed. I've read the scabs can fall off and remain infectious for some time. Maybe keeping him in a screened cage would keep the mosquitoes off of him and help stop the spread of it that way.

My question would be, should I vaccinate the rest of the flock? Maybe someone with more knowledge could answer that. I have always read not to vaccinate for pox unless you have a problem with it already in your area. That from the manufacturer. So, I wonder if that means you introduce it to the area if you do vaccinate? Meaning, vaccinated birds become carriers and all new introduced birds would need vaccination? Since the pox vaccine is for the wet and dry version, I would be very opposed to introducing the wet form in my flock. Now, if the vaccine in fact does not make the birds carriers, then it would be better for you to just vaccinate the remaining birds instead of isolating the one. I'm quite confused on this matter, since I have read not to vaccinate unless it is a problem in the area.

 

[casportpony]

We had an outbreak here last year and bought the vaccine, but ended up not vaccinating. The number of outbreaks really started to drop once I went around the property and dealt with the mosquitoes.

-Kathy

 

[scooter16]

We had an outbreak here last year and bought the vaccine, but ended up not vaccinating. The number of outbreaks really started to drop once I went around the property and dealt with the mosquitoes.

-Kathy

Any opinions??? Do guinea hens/pea fowl make a difference on mosquito population? Enough to matter re pox? Scooter16

 

[MrsBachbach]

I doubt they would make much of a difference. Probably just depends on where you live. Mosquito population is not high where I live, but we do get some. I think keeping weeds and tall grass down is more effective. Changing out water tubs every three days (before they hatch) is also important. If you live near lakes or ponds or in a high density area and your birds are cooped, I think the most effective treatment would be to screen your henhouse. Mosquitos tend to come out at dusk and your chickens are usually roosting then.

 

[Angie16hearts]

Great thread ! Pictures and the care and love put into the poor chickens. Amazing people out there! So here's my story. I have 10 hens 1 rooster 3 of my hens are RIR. All 3 seem to have dry fowl pox. I keep my coop very clean! Once a day it gets a few bug prevention products, all natural. They get a great variety of food plus there feed an duster shells along with there egg shells ground up. Lots of seeds, coconut oil ect... All my other hens are perfect ! I checked them all out but all 3 of my reds have fowl pox. I'm wondering if it's prone in certain breeds? I once again scrubbed coop down got rid of all dirty stuff. I put idione on all 3 girls. Here's the worse. She's nothing compared to some of the pics posted! My heart goes out to those baby chickens looks herrific !

 

[casportpony]

Great thread ! Pictures and the care and love put into the poor chickens. Amazing people out there! So here's my story. I have 10 hens 1 rooster 3 of my hens are RIR. All 3 seem to have dry fowl pox. I keep my coop very clean! Once a day it gets a few bug prevention products, all natural. They get a great variety of food plus there feed an duster shells along with there egg shells ground up. Lots of seeds, coconut oil ect... All my other hens are perfect ! I checked them all out but all 3 of my reds have fowl pox. I'm wondering if it's prone in certain breeds? I once again scrubbed coop down got rid of all dirty stuff. I put idione on all 3 girls. Here's the worse. She's nothing compared to some of the pics posted! My heart goes out to those baby chickens looks herrific !

Looks like your bird has a mild case and will be fine!

-Kathy