Wet Fowl Pox and residual mucous beak

[magnolia1864]

I am new to the site, but love the conversations and find the content extremely helpful. I have a flock of 28 - different types of laying hens and one rooster. This is my second flock since I was a kid - the last flocked lived long healthy lives until they just got old and died.

My last flock never had any health problems. This flock has been a challenge, as I started with 30 one day old chicks - didn't know about pasty-butt - have come a long way since then. My flock contracted fowl pox and I did not realize that was what was wrong with them until one had what I call "infection head". I removed her and began treating the rest of the flock for fowl pox. The general flock has recovered. The "infection head" chicken had developed wet pox and everything I have read suggested that she probably would not live. Well, I nursed her night and day including suctioning the mucous from her throat so she could breath and it has now been 6 weeks. Her pox are gone and there does not appear to be any residual infection left, but she still has mucuous secretions from her nose and her eyes are still watery. I started a second round of antibiotics, but I can't seem to get her to progress any further.

Any suggestions? Oh, by the way, chicken soup is not an option!!!

 

[lilchick]

Congrats. on caring for her and saving her life....

I think they are contagious for quite awhile so not sure when you introduce her back to flock.
But if rest of flock already has had fowl pox they are immune to getting it again... If you have studied about it you probably already know more than me!

As far as antibiotics hopefully this time it will clear up..

Oh no chicken soup here on my farm either!
Hubby says the only way any of mine leave is when they die of old age

 

[mypicklebird]

Pox is a virus, antibiotics will have no effect unless there is a secondary bacterial infection. Average recovery for skin lesions is a few weeks, with the wet form, if they survive- which they often don't- so good nursing job- it can take longer. There is probably a cheesy nodule or nodules in her choana, sinuses, or tracheal/laryngeal area. They will *probably* go away eventually, but there may be residual scar tissue making the bird not quite normal forever. Think about vaccinating any newcomers, as it is insect vector borne, and there are probably biting insects around just waiting to bite any new and unvaccinated chickens you bring in.

As for the chicken soup, I don't eat my birds, just their eggs. Do try to be comfortable with the concept of humanely ending a chicken's life if you need to, I am not saying you should do this for your bird, but if she gets worse not better, and she can't breathe despite the suction- or if you have to deal with wet pox again- and they are really struggling- I think it is better to humanely end their life than let them die on their own by suffocation- which is what happens with many of the wet pox birds.

Wandering off topic in response to lilchick---I have a lot of older girls, and if I notice someone start to really struggle with the day to day needs of a chicken- I inspect for problems- but usually there is something unpleasant and not easily treatable/curable and I end their lives in a humane fashion. No one should have to die of 'old age' as that means for a chicken- reproductive cancer, inflammatory yolk peritonitis, organ failure, or viral like marek's.

 

[lilchick]

mypicklebird,
My husband jokes like that but I have taken mine to vet to be put to sleep. It cost 4.00.

I know chickens have alot of diseases.. Me I am too soft to end their life on my own...

good luck magnolia1864.

 

[chickenzoo]

I had a few that developed Wet pox, I only lost a few before I knew what I was dealing with. I ordered Baytril, you can get it in liquid form in a dropper bottle from allbirdproducts w/o an RX. Instead of putting it in the water drop a few drops in their mouth. With mine I rinsed their nose and mouth with Oxine, and took a pair of tweezers and removed any of the yellow lesionous stuff on their top or bottom pallet of their mouth. I rinsed again with Oxine. This seemed to work really well. I also made a mash of their food so it was easier to eat.

 

[SweetMissDaisy]

Hi All,
I'm currently dealing with both dry and wet pox here on the farm. UGH!!

I have one hen who is having trouble breathing, but shows NO other signs of either pox. Yesterday she didn't have any noticable/visible blockage in her throat, but today she has the yellow "crud" often seen with wet pox.

I have a question about the Oxine you've used in the mouth. What is Oxine, and where can I get some!?

I am treating her w/ terramyacin and she has fish zole in her water, and I'm giving her yogurt and probios to make sure she keeps her energy. She does seem to eat some on her own, but spends most of her time concentrating on her breathing. Since seeing the yellow crud in her throat today, I've dabbed it with diluted iodine. But, if Oxine is better I would like to use that. I'll do anything I can for my birds (as most of us would) ... and of course, she's a favorite. Aren't they always...

 

[lilchick]

You can order it from poultry supply places like Cutler or Smiths.
It is expensive but worth it...
Just do not let it freeze...
good luck....

 

[Winton33]

I am new at chickens. My favorite hen (5 months of age) died yesterday. I thought it was a wound but now realize it was fowlpox. I have 16 other chickens and am not sure what to do at this point. The hen had the sore for about 3 weeks. Can this also infect the ducks?

Help!

 

[Elite Silkies]

Mine never got Wet Pox, but they did get fowl pox. I also used Oxine, it's very good. Then I made sure they had vit/electrolytes added to their water and gave them tons of foods with protein in it.

 

[verlaj]

I had one hen with the wet form of fowl pox last year that really was badly afflicted. Besides the swelling and sores around her eyes, she had terrible sores in her mouse and a tongue so swollen it didn't look anything like a chicken tongue. Started with just normal nursing care, waiting for her to get through the viral infection, then when I realized she had stopped eating and drinking, I started giving her fluids orally with a syringe. This is how I discovered the bad situation in her mouth. Ended up treating her with injectable penicillin 2X daily for about 5 days for secondary bacterial infection and continuing oral fluids - water, Gatorade, buttermilk - then rinsing her poor mouth afterwards, until she was eating and drinking on her own. She survived and is good now - hatched out my 3 GCM chicks this year - but her tongue is permanently scarred and abnormal.