What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

Yes, Poultry DVM is sort of like WebMD for poultry (http://www.poultrydvm.com/), and Mike's Falconry simply lists the types of illnesses certain meds are best for so you know which meds to select. He is able to sell them because Pigeon and Falconry supplies are not regulated under the agriculture rules that chickens are. Not many folks eat pigeon or hawk, so they are less restrictive.

Poultry DVM is a really useful resource. I've used it for the last couple of years. It also has an excellent database on plant toxicity to poultry.

 

[Shetland lover]

Mine have all had fowl pox and recovered, so thank goodness the mosquitos are just annoying now... really REALLY annoying. If nothing else the chooks are not getting good sleep and look all bedraggled. My husband makes an awesome fly repellent out of vinegar and infusion oils. Thinking I should broadcast spray that in run pre-dusk. The trade winds are supposed to kick into high gear so hopefully it will blow a bunch away make them fish food

Can you share hubby's recipe, please, Tropical Babies? Mosquitoes treat me as a blood bank!

 

[TropicalBabies]

Equine Fly Spray Recipe for 32oz Spray Bottle
2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar
1 ¾ Cups (14oz) Water
1 Tbsp Dawn Dish Soap
10 Drops Citronella Essential Oil
10 Drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
10 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil
If you just want to use one essential oil use a ½ Tbsp of your choice. Add
your ingredients to a 32 oz spray bottle and shake well.
Some people use Tea Tree essential oil using same amount mentioned
above and also a 1/4 Cup of Witch Hazel

 

[Shetland lover]

I do believe there are a few strains but they can only get one strain once in their lives. Mine have never gotten any pox twice and many cases- like the last cases with my little-littles, it has been so mild I hardly noticed and they had a really fast recovery. I'm hoping someone else (@Shetland lover ) can clarify a little better ♡. I can only speak to my experience.

Fowl Pox is a really interesting virus. It's categorized as a large DNA virus and can have integrated Reticuloendotheliosis Virus in it. That addition to Fowl Pox can lead to lymphoma. It also differs significantly in it's makeup between field and lab strains. Field strains have cell adaptations that allow it to persist much longer in the environment. It's also very slow to spread (which means vaccination is still useful even when some of the flock is symptomatic)
There are three types of Fowl Pox, cutaneous, diphtheritic, and/or systemic. The first one results in the classic skin lesions (dry fowl pox) and has low mortality so unless the bird is very young, old or immunocompromised, full recovery is likely. They then have passive immunity but this can decline over time, opening the bird up to re-infection. Interestingly, just like with human chicken pox, mothers can pass immunity to their offspring.
The other two versions are much more dangerous. Diphtheritic (wet fowl pox or fowl diphtheria) results in lesions which develop on the mucous membranes of the mouth, oesophagus, pharynx, larynx, and trachea. Caseous patches can form in the larynx and trachea, they look like the plaques caused in oral thrush or trich and prevent the chicken from breathing. They adhere very strongly to mucous membranes. The third type, systemic, results from very virulent forms of the virus. It causes lesions on the internal organs. Both types have high mortality rates. It's also possible for an individual chicken to have all three forms at once.
Mosquitoes are the the main mechanical vector of the virus but other biting insects can also spread it. It can also be spread via pox scabs, dander and dust through skin to skin contact, via abrasions and cuts. It can also be transmitted by breathing in the virus present in the scabs that fall off the infected birds. When it is transmitted in this way, the result is almost always diphtheritic or systemic infection.

That's just a few highlights. It's a very well studied virus with lots of information out there as it has a worldwide distribution and can result in considerable economic loss in commercial settings.

 

[kurby22]

Fowl Pox is a really interesting virus. It's categorized as a large DNA virus and can have integrated Reticuloendotheliosis Virus in it. That addition to Fowl Pox can lead to lymphoma. It also differs significantly in it's makeup between field and lab strains. Field strains have cell adaptations that allow it to persist much longer in the environment. It's also very slow to spread (which means vaccination is still useful even when some of the flock is symptomatic)
There are three types of Fowl Pox, cutaneous, diphtheritic, and/or systemic. The first one results in the classic skin lesions (dry fowl pox) and has low mortality so unless the bird is very young, old or immunocompromised, full recovery is likely. They then have passive immunity but this can decline over time, opening the bird up to re-infection. Interestingly, just like with human chicken pox, mothers can pass immunity to their offspring.
The other two versions are much more dangerous. Diphtheritic (wet fowl pox or fowl diphtheria) results in lesions which develop on the mucous membranes of the mouth, oesophagus, pharynx, larynx, and trachea. Caseous patches can form in the larynx and trachea, they look like the plaques caused in oral thrush or trich and prevent the chicken from breathing. They adhere very strongly to mucous membranes. The third type, systemic, results from very virulent forms of the virus. It causes lesions on the internal organs. Both types have high mortality rates. It's also possible for an individual chicken to have all three forms at once.
Mosquitoes are the the main mechanical vector of the virus but other biting insects can also spread it. It can also be spread via pox scabs, dander and dust through skin to skin contact, via abrasions and cuts. It can also be transmitted by breathing in the virus present in the scabs that fall off the infected birds. When it is transmitted in this way, the result is almost always diphtheritic or systemic infection.

That's just a few highlights. It's a very well studied virus with lots of information out there as it has a worldwide distribution and can result in considerable economic loss in commercial settings.

Wow really?? That has me really pondering…most all of my big chickens flock has gotten fowl pox and the ones that got it bad all died eventually. That’s really got me wondering if it’s possible the fowl pox brought the lymphoma? It could also be coincidental timing, but both rounds of loss came after a fowl pox episode. Nohope and several others had fowl pox back in September/October. My bantams haven’t gotten pox for some reason, it’s so far only hit the birds in the big chicken run. One of my very first birds I lost to what we assumed was fowl pox because several others had it bad, but it really didn’t present like normal pox so I have always wondered…Ms Pretty got all the lesions on her face and neck along with a couple on her comb. I thought she was bit by a spider of some kind because the lesions grew but never were infected and she got progressively thinner and then died. :-( If the fowl pox can carry this other strain is it possible that you’d see that visual lymphoma like reaction fairly soon after exposure? How long do they have pox before the scabs are visible?

This was Ms Pretty - these showed up on her face and then I found similar lumps in her feather follicles. Everyone shortly after she looked like this got a bad case of fowl pox and I lost Ms Pretty, Marianne, and Eevee. Both Eevee and Marianne got wet pox :-( This years round of pox was really mild seeming as only 2-3 birds showed evidence of it. Nohope and Bruno and one hen but I can’t recall which one. Anyway, I wonder if I could get them tested for the reticuloendotheliosis? I’m sure they don’t run that type of test in necropsy without more money. $25 is likely the bare minimum necropsy. You are a wealth of chicken knowledge @Shetland lover Thanks for the info!

 

[kurby22]

I'm so glad you have this time together.

Browsing through byc I saw some of your baby pictures from last year June 22? and read your post of hope about breeding etc. Such beautiful babies. Broke my heart.... the whole thing just breaks my heart
I was thinking of all the folks who got bird flu and had their whole flocks taken from them instantly. I would be devastated. Thinking like that is one of the few reasons I closed my flock. I just want to enjoy them as they are with all of their weird antics. Never know when things will change. We have no guarantees.

Yeah he’s so beautiful and I have some sweet and equally beautiful Orpington hens. They would make the most amazing babies Just for my pleasure even. My therapist was saying something similar to me that she’s glad I have this time with him even if it’s hard and she’s sorry I’ve experienced so much loss surrounding them because it’s clear they bring me so much joy and fulfillment as well.

 

[kurby22]

Fowl Pox is a really interesting virus. It's categorized as a large DNA virus and can have integrated Reticuloendotheliosis Virus in it. That addition to Fowl Pox can lead to lymphoma. It also differs significantly in it's makeup between field and lab strains. Field strains have cell adaptations that allow it to persist much longer in the environment. It's also very slow to spread (which means vaccination is still useful even when some of the flock is symptomatic)
There are three types of Fowl Pox, cutaneous, diphtheritic, and/or systemic. The first one results in the classic skin lesions (dry fowl pox) and has low mortality so unless the bird is very young, old or immunocompromised, full recovery is likely. They then have passive immunity but this can decline over time, opening the bird up to re-infection. Interestingly, just like with human chicken pox, mothers can pass immunity to their offspring.
The other two versions are much more dangerous. Diphtheritic (wet fowl pox or fowl diphtheria) results in lesions which develop on the mucous membranes of the mouth, oesophagus, pharynx, larynx, and trachea. Caseous patches can form in the larynx and trachea, they look like the plaques caused in oral thrush or trich and prevent the chicken from breathing. They adhere very strongly to mucous membranes. The third type, systemic, results from very virulent forms of the virus. It causes lesions on the internal organs. Both types have high mortality rates. It's also possible for an individual chicken to have all three forms at once.
Mosquitoes are the the main mechanical vector of the virus but other biting insects can also spread it. It can also be spread via pox scabs, dander and dust through skin to skin contact, via abrasions and cuts. It can also be transmitted by breathing in the virus present in the scabs that fall off the infected birds. When it is transmitted in this way, the result is almost always diphtheritic or systemic infection.

That's just a few highlights. It's a very well studied virus with lots of information out there as it has a worldwide distribution and can result in considerable economic loss in commercial settings.

Also Fluff had a really bad case of fowl pox back in August. I quarantined him but he was never the same and slowly declined until late November when he died.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I pray we may have turned a corner with Lizzy....she had a fuller crop tonight - thank God!!!

Her poop has been nothing like what it was Sunday! In fact I haven't seen any runny poos in the run all week!

I'm hopeful this was just a little virus and we are back to normal...but I'll give Lizzy one more day to finish out the injection Tylan50 orally and I'm gonna weigh her in the morning to make sure she is no less than she was Sunday.

Oh that is awesome news!!!! So glad to hear it!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Can you share hubby's recipe, please, Tropical Babies? Mosquitoes treat me as a blood bank!

If you shop or can get stuff from Bath and Body Works, or anything really similar…they have a body spray that my dad uses to keep mosquitoes off him when he is working outside or if we go fishing we use it. And it’s fantastic. It’s called Warm Vanilla Sugar. They have a lotion and body wash but the best thing we have found is the body spray and lotion. I just thought I would throw this out there too. Though I’m positive that since @TropicalBabies has to deal with them all the time, it will for sure work.

 

[kurby22]

View attachment 3399929
Plotting.

I am certain this is accurate!