Fowl pox is a highly contagious viral infection inwards poultry that causes painful sores on a chicken's skin. Also referred to every bit Avian Pox, Sorehead, Avian Diphtheria in addition to Chicken Pox, it is unrelated to human chicken pox in addition to cannot last contracted past times people from birds. Fowl pox occurs inwards 2 forms, Dry in addition to Wet pox in addition to piece at that topographic point is no cure, Fowl Pox tin last prevented in addition to the symptoms, treated.
FOWL POX CAUSES & TRANSMISSION
PREVENTION
-Practice good biosecurity to avoid introducing fowl pox to your birds from an infected flock on your clothes, equipment or shoes.
-Quarantine novel flock members properly.
-Control mosquitoes if possible.
-Day sometime chicks in addition to unaffected adults tin last vaccinated against Fowl Pox. The wing-stick method is piece of cake to practise in addition to real affordable. Consult your flock's veterinary or patch agriculture extension service poultry agent for to a greater extent than data most vaccinating against fowl pox. Your state's contact data tin last flora HERE. Once chickens own got been vaccinated, they own got permanent immunity.
-During an outbreak, to boundary the spread of the virus, construct clean in addition to sanitize waterers daily, adding 1/4 teaspoon of Oxine per gallon of drinking water.
-Following an outbreak, construct clean in addition to sanitize chicken coop with Oxine weekly for a month.
TREATMENT
There is no cure for fowl pox, but at that topographic point are comfort measures that tin last provided for affected chickens too every bit preventative measures to avoid secondary bacterial infections caused past times the lesions. Unaffected birds tin last vaccinated during an outbreak.
1) Give tetracycline antibiotics inwards the H2O to assistance command secondary infections.
Dosing instructions for Duramycin-10 HERE. In The Chicken Health Handbook, writer Gail Damerow recommends 300mg of oxyteteracycline (Terramycin) per gallon of drinking H2O for iii days followed past times a vitamin supplement inwards the water.
2) Treats scabs alongside a dilute iodine solution such as J. Crow's Lugol's Solution.
3) Apply ointment to soften scabs. (Mix 2 tablespoons of sulfur powder alongside 1/2 loving cup Vaseline. Apply to affected areas daily until lesion is healed.) per medico Julie Gauthier
4) Mix diluted iodine solutions into the flock's drinking water. (Iodine solution for drinking water: Mix 1 teaspoon of 1% iodine solution per gallon of H2O OR 1/2 teaspoon of 2% iodine solution per gallon. Provide every bit the alone root of drinking H2O until outbreak subsides.)
- Dry Fowl Pox is a viral infection that affects a chicken's peel inwards non-feathered areas, most commonly, the comb, wattles, human face upwards in addition to eyelids.
- Wet Fowl Pox affects a bird's upper respiratory system, eyes, oral cavity in addition to pharynx in addition to tin last life-threatening.
- The virus is transmitted to backyard chickens past times biting insects, most notably, mosquitoes.
- The virus is transmitted to other chickens within a flock through an infected bird's feathers, feather debris, skin dander, sloughed-off scabs, scab secretions in addition to blood (collectively referred to hereinafter every bit "hot debris").
- Fowl Pox is highly contagious & spreads slow from chicken to chicken within a flock. The virus tin persist inwards a flock for months, sometimes years, inwards hot debris.
- Susceptible birds tin expire infected when hot debris is eaten, inhaled or makes contact alongside peel wounds or mucous membranes (eyeballs in addition to mouths).
- Initial stages of Dry Fowl Pox include ash colored, raised lesions or blisters on the comb, human face upwards in addition to wattles. Blisters evolve into larger, xanthous bumps in addition to finally, nighttime colored, wart-looking scabs. The scabs eventually resolve, leaving scars behind.
- Some chickens instruct immunity, but others are susceptible to recurrences inwards times of stress.
Don't error mutual pecking injuries on combs in addition to wattles for Fowl Pox.
SYMPTOMS
Chickens alongside Fowl Pox volition frequently demo a driblet inwards egg production, loss of appetite and/or weight loss inwards add-on to the tell-tale lesions on the peel (dry fowl pox) or lesions within the oral cavity in addition to pharynx (wet fowl pox). Symptoms mostly persist for several weeks inwards a plane in addition to several months inwards a flock.
-Practice good biosecurity to avoid introducing fowl pox to your birds from an infected flock on your clothes, equipment or shoes.
-Quarantine novel flock members properly.
-Control mosquitoes if possible.
-Day sometime chicks in addition to unaffected adults tin last vaccinated against Fowl Pox. The wing-stick method is piece of cake to practise in addition to real affordable. Consult your flock's veterinary or patch agriculture extension service poultry agent for to a greater extent than data most vaccinating against fowl pox. Your state's contact data tin last flora HERE. Once chickens own got been vaccinated, they own got permanent immunity.
-During an outbreak, to boundary the spread of the virus, construct clean in addition to sanitize waterers daily, adding 1/4 teaspoon of Oxine per gallon of drinking water.
-Following an outbreak, construct clean in addition to sanitize chicken coop with Oxine weekly for a month.
There is no cure for fowl pox, but at that topographic point are comfort measures that tin last provided for affected chickens too every bit preventative measures to avoid secondary bacterial infections caused past times the lesions. Unaffected birds tin last vaccinated during an outbreak.
1) Give tetracycline antibiotics inwards the H2O to assistance command secondary infections.
Dosing instructions for Duramycin-10 HERE. In The Chicken Health Handbook, writer Gail Damerow recommends 300mg of oxyteteracycline (Terramycin) per gallon of drinking H2O for iii days followed past times a vitamin supplement inwards the water.
2) Treats scabs alongside a dilute iodine solution such as J. Crow's Lugol's Solution.
3) Apply ointment to soften scabs. (Mix 2 tablespoons of sulfur powder alongside 1/2 loving cup Vaseline. Apply to affected areas daily until lesion is healed.) per medico Julie Gauthier
4) Mix diluted iodine solutions into the flock's drinking water. (Iodine solution for drinking water: Mix 1 teaspoon of 1% iodine solution per gallon of H2O OR 1/2 teaspoon of 2% iodine solution per gallon. Provide every bit the alone root of drinking H2O until outbreak subsides.)
5) Clean coop in addition to run alongside the objective of removing hot debris from the premises.
6) Sanitize drinking water.
6) Sanitize drinking water.
Many cheers to the next individuals for graciously sharing photos of their affected chickens alongside me for this article: Jennifer Sorensen, Jill Greenwell, Kim English linguistic communication in addition to Nancy Campbell.
Sources in addition to farther reading available upon request.
