MotherHen785102
Chirping
- Dec 15, 2022
- 20
- 42
- 56
So about a year ago we had a case of Fowl Pox run through our flock, no big deal, everyone made it out just fine. Fast forward to now, we had a hen hatch 4 eggs. 2 weeks in I started noticing signs of fowl pox on 2 of the babies and one adult who never showed symptoms during the last outbreak.
One baby is doing okay, 2 small lesions on her face, not too bad.. But the other is doing horribly. It's eyes are almost completely covered in scabs and it's nostrils are also scabbed up (pictures attached). I watched this baby for about 2 days and the poor thing kept getting lost and couldn't find momma hen, also couldn't find the food or waterer.
So today, I packed it up and brought it to work with me so I could try to hand feed and water throughout the day. During this I found out that it CAN see a bit, but only just. I put it in a smaller storage container and showed it where the food and water is and it has been eating and drinking just fine all day so far. (HOWEVER, it did take a bit of trial and error and I found putting a black towel down (as opposed to a light color or white) helped the poor baby in being able to distinguish food/water from the floor with its eyesight being compromised.)
My question is have any of you had a severe case of fowl pox in a baby chick and the baby made it? Sometimes the poor thing looks miserable, but most of the time it acts like any other baby chick. Am I torturing it? Should I just cull? I have always been on the "let nature do its thing" side, but I am also not one to let an animal suffer just because I don't have the
to end its suffering.
One baby is doing okay, 2 small lesions on her face, not too bad.. But the other is doing horribly. It's eyes are almost completely covered in scabs and it's nostrils are also scabbed up (pictures attached). I watched this baby for about 2 days and the poor thing kept getting lost and couldn't find momma hen, also couldn't find the food or waterer.
So today, I packed it up and brought it to work with me so I could try to hand feed and water throughout the day. During this I found out that it CAN see a bit, but only just. I put it in a smaller storage container and showed it where the food and water is and it has been eating and drinking just fine all day so far. (HOWEVER, it did take a bit of trial and error and I found putting a black towel down (as opposed to a light color or white) helped the poor baby in being able to distinguish food/water from the floor with its eyesight being compromised.)
My question is have any of you had a severe case of fowl pox in a baby chick and the baby made it? Sometimes the poor thing looks miserable, but most of the time it acts like any other baby chick. Am I torturing it? Should I just cull? I have always been on the "let nature do its thing" side, but I am also not one to let an animal suffer just because I don't have the
to end its suffering.
