White spots on my chickens comb! Fowlpox?!?!?

[Daisy Chickens]

I agree with Wyorp Rock in that you have fowl pox going through the flock. Watch for any eye infections and treat as she said, with Terramycin ointment from your feed store, (or a similar drop or ointment from a vet.) If any look especially weak or ill, look inside the beak and throat for any yellowish spots or patches that could be wet pox. Wet pox are plaques inside the thoat, esophagus, and trachea that may cause pain and not eating/drinking. Those chickens may become weak or die if not drinking. The disease is caused by a virus carried by mosquitoes, and will not respond to antibiotics. Secondary bacterial infections, however, such as in the eyes, may be helped with antibiotics. If you live in an area prone to pox outbreaks, there is a vaccine available for birds who have not yet been exposed.

At night every time I go outside to put the chickens in their coop. I always get bit by mosquitoes. And those mosquitoes I see a lot of them in the coop. So should I put them inside my house? I have a room where I put the rooster so he wont wake up the neighbors at 6 in the morning. I usually take him outside at 9 am.

 

[Daisy Chickens]

I agree with Wyorp Rock in that you have fowl pox going through the flock. Watch for any eye infections and treat as she said, with Terramycin ointment from your feed store, (or a similar drop or ointment from a vet.) If any look especially weak or ill, look inside the beak and throat for any yellowish spots or patches that could be wet pox. Wet pox are plaques inside the thoat, esophagus, and trachea that may cause pain and not eating/drinking. Those chickens may become weak or die if not drinking. The disease is caused by a virus carried by mosquitoes, and will not respond to antibiotics. Secondary bacterial infections, however, such as in the eyes, may be helped with antibiotics. If you live in an area prone to pox outbreaks, there is a vaccine available for birds who have not yet been exposed.

At night every time I go outside to put the chickens in their coop. I always get bit by mosquitoes. And those mosquitoes I see a lot of them in the coop. So should I put them inside my house? I have a room where I put the rooster so he wont wake up the neighbors at 6 in the morning. I usually take him outside at 9 am. Can u look at the pictures that I replied to Wyorp Rock it shows my chickens left eye being closed.

 

[Abriana]

Welcome to BYC! Yes, you can bring them in the house. I don't think that those are mosquito bites though, but it is worth a try bringing them in and seeing if that will change anything.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

At night every time I go outside to put the chickens in their coop. I always get bit by mosquitoes. And those mosquitoes I see a lot of them in the coop. So should I put them inside my house? I have a room where I put the rooster so he wont wake up the neighbors at 6 in the morning. I usually take him outside at 9 am. Can u look at the pictures that I replied to Wyorp Rock it shows my chickens left eye being closed.

I looked at your photos

Hens close their eyes all the time, but she is more than likely closing it because it doesn't feel too good.

Yes, that is Fowl Pox on the comb, wattles and eyes from mosquito bites.
Bringing them in probably is not practical. Best to see what can be done to help eliminate the mosquito population. Dump and clean water stations away from the coop/run daily, try to keep run areas dry, depending on how your coop is set-up, a fan in the window can help circulate air to make it harder for mosquitoes to land.

Once your flock recovers from this round of Pox, most will acquire immunity. As @Eggcessive suggested, if you live in an area that is heavily populated with mosquitoes and Pox is prevalent, then consider having future chicks vaccinated.

 

[Daisy Chickens]

flush the eyes with saline

Just to be sure what is Saline?
Can you send link to what the right Terramycin eye ointment and Iodine looks like. I want to be sure of what to buy from the feed store

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @Daisy Chickens

Here you go. The Terramycin looks pretty much like this package - it's a fairly small tube, but a little goes a long way.

For the saline and Iodine look for similar wording on what I have pictured. These can be found at Wal Mart, CVS, etc.

 

[mobius]

Contact lens solution will also work as saline solution..and great in a first aid kit for chickens! In fact all three above are good to have around.

How long for fowl pox to run it's course?

OP, can you put out mosquito traps? I forget what they are called...some go in standing water to prevent breeding or kill eggs. Check gutters, old tires, etc for standing water.

Anything with Citronella can help to repel mosquitoes...the plants themselves are a good idea...eucalyptus helps too, as well as lemon oils or camphor oils....some of the dried herbs could be put in the coop...mosquitoes carry more problems than fowl pox...best of luck...I believe in eradicating the source in as natural a way as possible! Essential oils may also be used I believe, you can make a spray out of the EOs, I will give a recipe if anyone interested.

 

[mobius]

If I had the issue, to treat the run and coop I would spray this on...not on the hens of course...but in nesting boxes, roosts, coop inside and out, windows and wood in the run...this would be simplest:

You can get this at walmart for $5. It works quite well, and I have used it. I would have the chickens out of coop and run for a while when spraying (say four to six hours) and let it soak in.

 

[Abriana]

Just to be sure what is Saline?
Can you send link to what the right Terramycin eye ointment and Iodine looks like. I want to be sure of what to buy from the feed store

You boil water and add salt. You can find directions to make it online, I use it sometimes for a stuffed up nose, but I haven't in a while so I'm not sure what the water to salt ratio is.

 

[Daisy Chickens]

Hi @Daisy Chickens

Here you go. The Terramycin looks pretty much like this package - it's a fairly small tube, but a little goes a long way.

For the saline and Iodine look for similar wording on what I have pictured. These can be found at Wal Mart, CVS, etc.

One of the Plymouth Rock chicken's face is pale