Fowl pox

[Tsaladrigas98]

How has everyone treated/helped alleviate symptoms for their chickens infected with fowl pox? Anything helps first time chicken mama.

 

[swamphiker]

What kind of symptoms are your chickens experiencing? Pictures would help. If it's just mild dry pox without any lesions in their mouths, it quickly clears up on its own.

 

[Tsaladrigas98]

What kind of symptoms are your chickens experiencing? Pictures would help. If it's just mild dry pox without any lesions in their mouths, it quickly clears up on its own.

I have one with a lesion in her mouth. All others are dry pox. I'll try and get some pictures. They have the eye swelling and wart-like spots.

 

[nuthatched]

Iodine will help the lesions dry up.

 

[coach723]

Pictures would be good.
If it's pox, it's a virus and there are no treatments other than supportive care. For the wet form, it's more serious, you need to monitor that bird, make sure it's eating and drinking normally. If it stops, then hand feeding or tubing food and fluids until it's recovered may be needed. It's usually better to leave the lesions/blisters alone, as they can spread the virus. If it's a really bad one, you can dab a bit of iodine or betadine on it with a q-tip (don't get that in eyes). For lesions near the eyes, it can sometimes (not always, just sometimes) cause a secondary bacterial infection in the eye. If that is going on then terramycin eye ointment can be used. That is non-prescription, Tractor Supply used to carry it, mine has stopped, but you can get it on line also. Most of the time the pox runs its course in a few weeks with no real issues.
It's caused by insect bites, usually mosquito's, and the most common time they are bitten is on the roosts at night while they are stationary. Putting window screen over all openings (I put it up with screws and washers and remove in the winter), and putting a piece of screen cut like a carwash curtain over the door, hanging down in strips, can help keep the mosquito's out, or at least drastically reduce the numbers. A fan that blows over the roosts can also make it harder for the mosquito's to land on them. I have done both. I put a fan on the outside of a window, bungee'd in place, so it's safe, they can't get to it. I also had a small 12 volt camping fan installed in the rafters of the coop, out of reach.
Those that have it, and recover, should have some resistance to it and not get sick again.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How has everyone treated/helped alleviate symptoms for their chickens infected with fowl pox? Anything helps first time chicken mama.

I have one with a lesion in her mouth. All others are dry pox. I'll try and get some pictures. They have the eye swelling and wart-like spots.

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of the hen, her face and of the lesions inside the beak?

 

[Tsaladrigas98]

Pictures would be good.
If it's pox, it's a virus and there are no treatments other than supportive care. For the wet form, it's more serious, you need to monitor that bird, make sure it's eating and drinking normally. If it stops, then hand feeding or tubing food and fluids until it's recovered may be needed. It's usually better to leave the lesions/blisters alone, as they can spread the virus. If it's a really bad one, you can dab a bit of iodine or betadine on it with a q-tip (don't get that in eyes). For lesions near the eyes, it can sometimes (not always, just sometimes) cause a secondary bacterial infection in the eye. If that is going on then terramycin eye ointment can be used. That is non-prescription, Tractor Supply used to carry it, mine has stopped, but you can get it on line also. Most of the time the pox runs its course in a few weeks with no real issues.
It's caused by insect bites, usually mosquito's, and the most common time they are bitten is on the roosts at night while they are stationary. Putting window screen over all openings (I put it up with screws and washers and remove in the winter), and putting a piece of screen cut like a carwash curtain over the door, hanging down in strips, can help keep the mosquito's out, or at least drastically reduce the numbers. A fan that blows over the roosts can also make it harder for the mosquito's to land on them. I have done both. I put a fan on the outside of a window, bungee'd in place, so it's safe, they can't get to it. I also had a small 12 volt camping fan installed in the rafters of the coop, out of reach.
Those that have it, and recover, should have some resistance to it and not get sick again.

Thank you SO much for this!!