Is My Silkie Hen Sick?!

[Humble Shack Farm]

Hi All!

I realize that several people have had experiences in the past with chickens that have developed odd lumps and bumps on their faces with no apparent cause. However, I thought I would share these pictures in case someone can now identify what's wrong with my hen. Researching it proved to be very difficult and I didn't learn much. This is the only hen of the flock that is affected and she's a mature 2-year-old hen. She was recently broody, which my hens don't normally do unless they are in good body condition, and she doesn't act sick or uncomfortable. (She is not with the chicks now so if she is sick she shouldn't be spreading anything to them. They appear healthy.) The only other sign that something might be wrong with her is that she has been slow to grow new feathers after the last molt. The feathers are finally coming in better on her back, but she needs new feathers on her wings too. I do not have a feeder/waterer that might cause a facial injury. You can see in the pictures that it is affecting her comb/nose and wattles. This seems to be suddenly affecting her as I don't remember seeing anything on her face in the last few days.
Could this be a type of fowlpox? I have had it go through a flock or two in the past but it didn't look like this and had affected multiple birds by the time I saw symptoms. We have had lots of rain and mosquitoes recently. I looked in her mouth and it looked normal.

If anyone can suggest a cause or treatment or has any experience to share, I'd appreciate it!

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, I would say that she is dealing with dry fowl pox, a virus carried by mosquitoes. Make sure that she keeps eating and drinking, and if there are any scabs around her eyes, apply some plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment into the eye twice a day to prevent a secondary bacterial infection. There is no treatment for pox, and it usually lasts about 2-3 weeks. Here is some reading:
http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/fowl-pox-backyard-flocks

 

[Humble Shack Farm]

Yes, I would say that she is dealing with dry fowl pox, a virus carried by mosquitoes. Make sure that she keeps eating and drinking, and if there are any scabs around her eyes, apply some plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment into the eye twice a day to prevent a secondary bacterial infection. There is no treatment for pox, and it usually lasts about 2-3 weeks. Here is some reading:
http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/fowl-pox-backyard-flocks

Thank you! I will watch her eyes and the rest of the flock. Will applying anything to the bumps she already has help them heal?
I will be sure to add some immune-boosting foods to their diet as well. Can pox be more serious in baby chicks than adults? I have some chicks that are about four weeks old and a new one hatching today.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, pox is much more dangerous to baby chicks. I would keep them inside where no mosquitoes can get to them for as long as possible. In chicks, the pox scabs are very large and can block the eyes and nostrils. Wet ox, where there is yellow gunk inside the beak and throat, is more serious, so look for it inside beaks if any seem very ill. Some people do use Betadine (povidone iodine) on the scabs to help dry them up, but it may or may not help. Disturbing or removing scabs can help spread the virus. Later when scabs fall off, they can become powdery and aeroslized, and can spread the virus to others. There is a fowl pox vaccine for chickens 8 weeks and older who have not yet been exposed. Chickens who get the virus are immune to that strain of pox later.

 

[Humble Shack Farm]

Yes, pox is much more dangerous to baby chicks. I would keep them inside where no mosquitoes can get to them for as long as possible. In chicks, the pox scabs are very large and can block the eyes and nostrils. Wet ox, where there is yellow gunk inside the beak and throat, is more serious, so look for it inside beaks if any seem very ill. Some people do use Betadine (povidone iodine) on the scabs to help dry them up, but it may or may not help. Disturbing or removing scabs can help spread the virus. Later when scabs fall off, they can become powdery and aeroslized, and can spread the virus to others. There is a fowl pox vaccine for chickens 8 weeks and older who have not yet been exposed. Chickens who get the virus are immune to that strain of pox later.

Thank you, this is good to know. I have five new chicks that are not yet in the same space as the adult birds. Now I know to keep them separate for as long as necessary!
The good news is, the first hen's scabs have healed up and she is growing a whole new set of feathers! She looks all pins and needles right now but when those feathers fluff up she'll look like a whole new bird. It appears to only be mildly affecting a few other birds (out of 50) with a few scabs on their combs.