Wet Pox or just Dry? Pictures included...

[Fox]

I believe they can have both at the same time. I think my Cochin did. She had the spots on the comb, then later developed the eye bubbles. If I understand correctly they are two different strains... wet pox can spread through the water, while the dry pox is passed mostly through the bites of the mosquitoes... if they get bit they get it if they don't, they don't... unless they eat a scab off one of the other chickens. Then I think that can also infect them. I was very fortunate in that I did not lose any of my chickens to the wet pox. I was able to pull both of them through and they are both doing well all this time later. I credit it to using Oxine in the water and Vetericyn on the wounds as they were healing... around the eyes and in and on the beak. Squirted down their throats too. I did do one round of antibiotics on my Silkie just because she seemed so poorly. I was afraid of secondary infections. I really hope I don't go through that this year again.

 

[IrishAcreFarm]

Fox, are you having any issues now with wet pox. I am so concerned, I have six 6 week old chicks, and one of them ( a black australorp) has a slightly swollen lower beak that is a little crooked. I first noticed it yesterday, now this morning, the beak is a little more swollen, and I can see some crusty, yellow residue on the side of her beak. She will not let me look in her mouth at all, she just is going nutty. Yesterday I thought it was a genetic issue starting, now I am not so sure. Wondering if the crusty yellow is food because of the swollen beak, or if this sounds like wet pox. So worried! What should I do?

 

[Fox]

I have not had any other problems since then with the Pox. If I were you, I would separate your hen and put her in a smaller space where you can watch her. If she has wet pox, she can infect the other chickens. So get her away from the rest of the flock. I would add a little Oxine to the waterers and if you don't have Oxine, maybe a tiny bit of bleach until you can get some... and I do mean just a tiny bit. I put about a cap full of Oxine in a gallon or so waterer.

You will need to have someone hold your chicken and look more closely at her beak. See if there is a type of lesion there or in her beak... look for white to yellow curdle like stuff or even like a layer of thin white like a baby's thrush can be. If you see that, take a Q-tip and dip it in iodine and gently wipe the filmy stuff away as best you can. If you have Vetericyn Wound Spray, spray it especially on the sore area and then a squirt down the throat. Do this every day. If it's not Wet Pox, but is a wound or infection of some sort, the Vetericyn should still help. Just watch her carefully, see if there are any other signs going on with her. Mine did not want to eat very much, so I stuck with soft, wet foods, yogurt dipped bread and hand fed her until she would pick at her own food.

Since you don't know what is going on, you should separate her until you do. If it is something else contagious, you don't want it spreading to the rest of your flock. I used a dog crate. Be sure to keep water and feed available to her there at all times.

Hope this helps some! I hope she heals quickly!

 

[IrishAcreFarm]

Thank you so much for the tips!! I will head on out for supplies, and try to get a closer look at her. Thankfully I think i caught whatever it is early. You cant really notice anything odd about her unless you are holding her and staring at her beak. I hate to have to seperate her, but will do it if needed! Thanks again, and will let you know how she does!

 

[Fox]

I know you wouldn't want to separate her, but that can be a big mistake if a chicken has something contagious. Wet Pox is one of those things. I did not separate my dry pox chickens as that is mostly spread by biting insects, but with Wet Pox it can spread as they drink water. Wet Pox creates a lot more complications and you just don't want it to spread around and possibly cause you to lose some of your flock. That is why, as a preventative, I put Oxine in the drinking water. I can't say if it was that or not, but I was able to keep the Wet Pox to the two hens only and I am so thankful for that. Even if it's not Wet Pox, if you don't know what something is, it's best to remove them. Maybe chicken problems can run through a flock so fast and better to be safe than sorry. If it's Wet Pox, you'll need to keep her separated until her sores are totally gone, so it will be awhile. Try to set it up in a way that will make it as easy on you and your hen as possible since you will be handling her everyday. If she appears to develop any other respiratory issues you may need to give her some antibiotics as this can be a secondary issue with Wet Pox. I did do that as my hens seemed really weakened, but it is something you can wait on. Because I had never treated this before I was a bit afraid. Now I might have waited and watched how the other two things did. They really seemed to respond to it. I also had sores around the eye and it was so swollen as you've probably seen, which gave me an outward visual of how she was responding. Of course you can see in the beak too some, but it's harder to just look at first glance and see.

I really hope everything goes well for you and you have no further problems!!

 

[IrishAcreFarm]

Hi Fox, just wanted to thank you again for you advice. I hadnt been able to find Oxine anywhere, so I ordered that. At this point, she is about the same, although crabby and anxious from being seperated. Thankfully, she is still active, eating, and a little spitfire lol. I wish I knew if it was definitely pox, I looked in her mouth ( very briefly) and I did not see anything. Just the slightly swollen beak on one side with the crusty yellow debris on the outside of the beak. No sneezing that I have heard, and eyes are clear. I have just noticed one of the other pullets sneezing from her batch, may seperate her now too, even though her beak is fine. Could CRD cause these same signs?

 

[Fox]

Hi,

I have never had CRD in my flock, so I really don't know. I do know that chickens can sneeze and it be nothing, as in not a disease or illness. A single sneeze or two that stops is not worrisome. If you hear it often, then you might need to concern yourself a bit. With respiratory issues, you can mist Oxine so they breathe that in and it can help from what I hear. So I am glad you were able to order some in.

Watch your hen and see if she improves. You can always swab her beak with the Veterycin or iodine on the outside and see if that clears up. As I said before, better to be safe, than sorry. If her beak clears all the way up and she shows no other signs, then when your Oxine comes in, you could put some Oxine in the water for all your chickens and put her back with the flock. You just want to make sure there are no sores you see, nor her acting as if she has sores down her throat... opening her beak oddly, not eating, etc. Eye bubbles can also be a sign of Wet Pox. So watch for that as well. If you see none and that crusty beak heals, then she should be safe to go back to the flock... but put a little Oxine in the water for a week or so as a precaution (even if she is not in there).

 

[IrishAcreFarm]

Hi Fox, thanks for always taking the time to chat with me about my girls. So, after looking up everything, it is looking more like canker than pox. She is pretty much the same, no lesions, just crusty yellow stuff and the slighty crooked beak. Active, and eating, eyes clear. I have some metronidazole from a sick cat i had, may try it as a trial. Canker makes sense especially since massachusetts has been extremly humid and rainy for the last two months and occassionally their food would spill and get wet. Still waiting on my oxine! Super excited to try it, as i have read great things about it!

 

[TreehuggerMo]

We are newer chicken raisers (this being our first year) and can't tell you how much we appreciate threads like this one. Our flock is only 7 months old and we now have a little frizzle girl who shows all signs of this wet pox. Wasn't sure until I was able to research and see the photos. We have her seperated and are getting meds today so with a little luck we will pull her thru this just like you ladies have pulled your's thru.

 

[casportpony]

If you want to see some really bad cases of pox check out the thread I started, but be warned, the pictures are graphic!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...x-xxx-rated-graphic-pictures-of-pus-and-scabs

-Kathy