This request is being ask because 3 of your chicken friends are going through a very devastating time.
It seems all of us have the pox virus in our flocks and our birds as well as owners are suffering.
So i wish to reach out to all here for support and comforting prayers in our time of need.
We need your help and support and wisdom to pull us through this tough time so that one day we will be the happy chicken lady's again we so desperately want to get back to being.
My Thanks in advance ***Harmony***
A special request for Harmony, Music, Molly
Thanks for this, Harmony. Sometimes I have to stop and think about what I do to help other people keep their chin. We forget that sometimes we need to do the same. I am a firm believer of how much positive thoughts can help people hundreds of miles away. Just knowing that people are here for me and my birdies, gives me energy through the day. Shoot, I'm crying again! Darn you.
Mother Earth keep us all strong.
~music
Thoughts and prayers go out to all of you and your birds.
I do have one question--you are all dealing with Avian Pox--but there are different strains with differing degrees of severity. How do your symptoms compare?
My thoughts and prayers are with you .
I think there may have been someone else here who also mentioned they had something like pox.
"My Sincere Apology" If Anyone was left Out Add your name here and we will Also include you in our thoughts and Prayers
My Heart go's out to all dealing with ANY problem with your birds.
Prayers and hope going out that all your cickens recover
Healing beams of white light going to all of you and your flocks affected by the pox. May the Earth Angels cradle your chickens in their wings to comfort them, and if Mother Earth decides it is their time, she will guide them to the bridge and help them to the light.
Hugs to all of you in this difficult time.
Thank you ladies.
Catscan:
I can only vouch for myself and Harmony because we have now been back and forth a few times comparing notes.
My birds have dry pox. I initially found the 1 large sore on the back side of my gorgeous serama roo's comb., long story short, I thought it was from a scuffle he had w/ pullet or hen, but it got bigger. When I got him in my lap and REALLY studied, I found several little pussballs..almost like large BLACK HEADS around his waddles, comb...everywhere except the legs, on the FEATHERLESS skin, including right on the rim of his eyes. There is now one on the inside rim of the eye, which worries me how quickly it's spreading on him...esp since Harmony has the WET POX, which as you've seen in the pics, is devastating.
And, Harmony also mentioned to me that one of her hen's had one on the eye rim, that spread into the eye (correct me if I'm wrong, Harmony) turned into wet pox and now that hen is no longer with us :(
The common denominator in ALL our pox, is the mosquito. I'm in FL, so while I don't THINK I have a mosquito problem, it is obviously worse than I thought...esp because of the recent hurricanes. HOWEVER, it ONLY TAKES 1 mosquito! Your odds are obviously greater that you will get pox, the more mosquitos you have.
We have both found that it seems to spread rather quickly on a bird, but appears slower (meaning, it has probably spread, but the sores haven't shown, yet) from bird to bird. It IS VERY CONTAGIOUS and can carry on your clothes and hands from 1 pen to the other.
Thanks to this board and esp. Harmony's first post, I was able to start treatment (iodine) right away. While my 2 hens do have it, they both only have ONE pox pusstule on them each...so far. AND, my Pullet Roo doesn't show signs, yet...and he is separated from them to keep it that way.
So, really not a lot of difference, except the actual difference of the pox...wet and dry and Harmony is dealing with both.
Thank you ALL again,
~music
Hi Music yes the similarity is in the dry pox.
I've had about 5 that have had the dry pox and i have cured them with the iodine and they have not shown anymore signs.
Yes Music i had to put down the little hen she was only about 4 months and the pox had actually grown into the eye i coudn't bare to see her in that sort of pain.
I have decided to depopulate and get some vaccine i have about 50 i will be vaccinateing and the others who recovered from the dry and some who i have kept isolated from general population will be sold.
This pox has shown me it's not going to stop and i'm just tired and want to put a end to all of this and move on and try and rebuild what it has taken from me.
Also sending healing light to Fuzzy Chicken and Karbear for their poorly chicken.
My heart goes out to all the birds, owners, and caretakers.. This is the saddest time! Claire your words were beautiful. My feelings exactly.
Joyce
Thanks Harmony. It's been a long haul with my chickens this summer. First Mareks took out several, left one that is barely functioning and now this.
One of my hens had a 'wartlike' bump on the back of her head. Her legs got swollen and bumpy. She's the only one affected. I've been treating her with iodine. The bump on her head has gone, one leg has lost it's swelling. The other leg still has some swelling and she walks very slowly. She isn't able to keep up with the flock. Eats by herself but is loosing weight to the point that her keel bone is sharp. She stops abruptly to take a nap in exposed places. Last night she must have fallen asleep in some shrubs cause I found her outside the coop this morning. Up to now she's gone inside with the others at dusk so now I have to check to make sure she's gone inside at night.
MollyD
Oh dear....what do you think it is, Molly? Doesn't sound like pox but doesn't sound like anything else I know of either. Poor thing. I hope she continues to show improvement. At least the leg and head bump are better but she still sounds poorly overall.
I can't tell Claire. One of her legs had swollen so much the skin was just about to break open. That stopped with the iodine treatment. They're hard to apply cause the legs are sort of waxy and stuff just rolls off them. She's very patient though.
MollyD
Odd to have leg symptoms combined with the head symptoms like that. I wonder if it was actually some kind of bacterial infection that went systemic on her. Sounds like it isn't spreading in your flock though, which is heartening. She sounds like a trooper for pulling through this.
She's a very good hen. I'm really hoping she makes it. Until this happened she was a very large hen.
MollyD
Molly--do you think it could be Marek's? It does cause widespread tumor growth--both epidermal and internal. She might have multiple small turmors that are interfering with her circulation and metabolism.
I have been watching and praying about your pox problems, wishing it would all go away for all of you.. such a hard thing to work through..
My dd senior motto this year is "what doesn't kill us, will make us stronger" never in my entire life has that rung true-er than this past year.. and now this...
sometimes.. faith, hope & prayer.. and a LOT of hard work is all we have to get us through.. know we are all there with you all!
We have so many mosquitos right now.. I don't think we have ever had them this bad when it was this cool.. we were warned earlier in the year when it was flooding all around us... but I thought when the heat of the summer passed by, we had made it through.. here it is in the 50's and I am outside getting bit... does the mosquito carry the pox or just spread it?
It is a bit confusing--some sources say mosquitoes spread it mechanically--which sounds like it is merely a matter of contact--but others say they remain infective for up to a month after feeding on an infected bird. That sounds like they are active vectors.
Catscan I just don't know. If it is then she's the only one showing these symptons. Why would the one on the back of her head go away with the iodine?
Did you notice the contradictory info on whether they're carriers or not? The whole thing is very confusing.
MollyD
i'm so sorry i've been following everyones posts too. my heart and prayers go out to all of u also. here is the info i found when looking it up. mabe it has something different that may help you all.
silkie
FOWL POX
Spread by biting flies. Occurs in two forms (a) a skin type with wart-like growths on the comb and wattles and (b) a diphtheritic form with lesions inside the mouth and the trachea. This latter form carries a high mortality. Vaccination of growing stock is common on the continent but not in the UK.
Fowl Pox
Synonyms : chicken pox (not to be confused with chicken pox in humans; the human disease does not affect poultry and vice versa), sore head, avian diphtheria, bird pox
Species affected : Most poultry -- chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, psittacine, and ratites -- of all ages are susceptible.
Clinical signs : There are two forms of fowl pox. The dry form is characterized by raised, wart-like lesions on unfeathered areas (head, legs, vent, etc.). The lesions heal in about 2 weeks. If the scab is removed before healing is complete, the surface beneath is raw and bleeding. Unthriftiness and retarded growth are typical symptoms of fowl pox. In laying hens, infection results in a transient decline in egg production (see Table 1 ).
In the wet form there are canker-like lesions in the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and trachea. The wet form may cause respiratory distress by obstructing the upper air passages. Chickens may be affected with either or both forms of fowl pox at one time.
Transmission : Fowl pox is transmitted by direct contact between infected and susceptible birds or by mosquitos. Virus-containing scabs also can be sloughed from affected birds and serve as a source of infection. The virus can enter the blood stream through the eye, skin wounds, or respiratory tract. Mosquitos become infected from feeding on birds with fowl pox in their blood stream. There is some evidence that the mosquito remains infective for life. Mosquitos are the primary reservoir and spreaders of fowl pox on poultry ranges. Several species of mosquito can transmit fowl pox. Often mosquitos winter-over in poultry houses so, outbreaks can occur during winter and early spring.
Treatment : No treatment is available. However, fowl pox is relatively slow-spreading. Thus, it is possible to vaccinate to stop an outbreak. The wing-web vaccination method is used for chickens and the thigh-stick method for turkeys older than 8 weeks.
Prevention: Fowl pox outbreaks in poultry confined to houses can be controlled by spraying to kill mosquitos. However, if fowl pox is endemic in the area, vaccination is recommended. Do not vaccinate unless the disease becomes a problem on a farm or in the area. Refer to the publication PS-36 (Vaccination of Small Poultry Flocks) for more information on fowl pox vaccinations.
here is one that answers the carrier question-
Avian Pox
Avian pox is a relatively slow-spreading viral disease in birds, characterized by wart-like nodules on the skin and diphtheritic necrotic membranes lining the mouth and upper respiratory system. It has been present in birds since the earliest history. Mortality is not usually significant unless the respiratory involvement is marked. The disease may occur in any age of bird, at any time.
Avian pox is caused by a virus of which there are at least three different strains or types; fowl pox virus, pigeon pox virus and canary pox virus. Although some workers include turkey pox virus as a distinct strain, many feel that is identical to fowl pox virus.
Each virus strain is infective for a number of species of birds. Natural occurring pox in chickens, turkeys and other domestic fowl is considered to be caused by fowl pox virus.
Fowl pox can be transmitted by direct or indirect contact. The virus is highly resistant in dried scabs and under certain conditions may survive for months on contaminated premises. The disease may be transmitted by a number of species of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can harbor infective virus for a month or more after feeding on affected birds. After the infection is introduced, it spreads within the flock by mosquitoes as well as direct and indirect contact. Recovered birds do not remain carriers.
Since fowl pox usually spreads slowly, a flock may be affected for several months. The course of the disease in the individual bird takes three to five weeks. Affected young birds are retarded in growth. Laying birds experience a drop in egg production. Birds of all ages that have oral or respiratory system involvement have difficulty eating and breathing. The disease manifests itself in one or two ways, cutaneous pox (dry form) or diphtheritic pox (wet form).
Dry pox starts as small whitish foci that develop into wart-like nodules. The nodules eventually are sloughed and scab formation precedes final healing. Lesions are most commonly seen on the featherless parts of the body (comb, wattles, ear lobes, eyes, and sometimes the feet).
Wet pox is associated with the oral cavity and the upper respiratory tract, particularly the larynx and trachea. The lesions are diphtheritic in character and involve the mucous membranes to such a degree that when removed, an ulcerated or eroded area is left.
Fowl pox is readily diagnosed on the basis of flock history and presence of typical lesions. In some cases, laboratory diagnosis by tissue or transmission studies is necessary.
There is no treatment for fowl pox. Disease control is accomplished best by preventative vaccination since ordinary management and sanitation practices will not prevent it. Several kinds of vaccines are available and are effective if used properly.
Vaccination of broilers is not usually required unless the mosquito population is high or infections have occurred previously. The chicks may be vaccinated as young as one day of age by using the wing-web method and using a one needle applicator. All replacement chickens are vaccinated against fowl pox when the birds are six to ten weeks of age. One application of fowl pox vaccine results in permanent immunity.
wow this one is from merk vet mannual it's the one i usually use. i would think this one is more right with info since it is from a vet book. it says they can be carriers.
check out the info on this link
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/204801.htm
Thank you for all that info Silkie.. it is nice to have all the info right here.. I will do further research to educate myself.. but I sure do appreciate the great start!
u r very welcome. i just posted on the other thread places online to get the vaccines and prices also for the few places i knew that had them.
We have all worked very hard and our hearts have been very low and all your kind words and helpful information has helped us to know how much you care.
Thank You all from the bottom of my heart and i'm sure all of you will be blessed in return.
***Harmony***
remember my girls and my friend Mary who is dealing with Pox too.
Yes i hear and will pray for your girls and marys too.
last year i went through ib, ms and ilt virus with my flock due to carries i got unknowingly. i do not wish anyone to go through the loss and heartache we had to endure and the hard decisions we had to face. we now have to vaccinate our flock to protect them and did not have anymore problems once the carriers were culled. i feel ur pain, i've been there to at one point just different circumstances.
although i have not been through fowl pox personally i am a poultry tech if there is anything i can help u all with i will do my best to answer what i can or know. if it is something severe i can call the dept of ag i work for and ask the state vet for info and help also if needed. i'm always a d-mail away if u need me quick.
hugs to all and i promise there is hope and better days r ahead. keep ur chins up and all of us will be here whith what we can to help u all get through this.
silkie
Thank you silkie i have chosen to go with the vaccine because i can't contain it with anything i've tried and looking at months of this is not something i want to do or put my birds thru.
I have had to make some heartbreaking decisions that has led me to this final conclusion to try and save the ones here from what the others have and are going through.
I feel a touch guilty for being selfish enough to think i could be the hero and stop this but that roo and the pain in his eyes told me more yesterday than anything.
So now the hero is humble and going to do what she should have done in the first place be a good owner and get her birds the help they need.
it's not ur fault at all. u have never been through this before. u r a very good parent and have done what u knew best to do with what u could. we know how dear ur birds r and how much u love them and they know that too.
u have been an excellent parent right there by their side to try to help them get through this anyway u knew how too. the prob is u just have such a severe case of it it's impossible to contain it and that is not nothing that could have been forsein in anyway. please do not blaim urself it is in noway anyones fault we do the best we can and now how to with what life deals us and that is all anyone can ask for is for us to try our best.
I was just getting on to respond to Molly, but want to reiterate these posts, but real quick-
Franz: I have done a LOT of legwork so that everyone else doesn't have to spend time googling, and bouncing from book to book. Some are from the most recent vet med journals, so they are nice and up to date. That along w/ help from others (like Harmony, Silkie, and my friend Kelly on BYC-who is in vet school at U of F) gave me a PLETHERA of info so here are these posts.
For pictures of dry pox and more info:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/912287/
pics of wet pox and more info:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/911575/
A thread I just made w/ a whole 3 days worth of researched info:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/913390/
Thread regarding vaccination for pox:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/913329/
Molly, I was just thinking about the legs of your girl. I'm assuming (cuz this is the only post I've seen of your symptoms/problems .. you've had your share and I'm sending positive energy your way!!!) that this hasn't spread to other birds. In that case, I'm wondering if it was actually a bite (on 1 or both legs) from something in your area, ie., type of snake, insect or spider or even scorpion. This sounds totally whack, but one of my dogs was bit by SOMETHING..may have been a wolf spider, and the same thing happened. The leg that was bit swelled first, then the other...ONLY on the back legs! THE TIGHT Waxiness is infection that inflames everything, stops circulation, which makes the skin tighter.
That doesn't explain the wart-like growth, but could be pox or something else on top of it and just a coincidence that she has both..Or the fact that she has an infection in her body, made her more succeptable to other diseases. Poor little girl. She's gotten better...sounds like she is ONE STRONG CHICK! No matter what the case, for leg problems, adding a little bone meal to their diet will help.
And you know- a whole butt-load of mosquito bites will inflame. So, while the legs aren't actually pox, she may have gotten an overload of mosquito bites on her legs, causing them to swell, and maybe even causing a staph infection on the legs, and the pox could have come at a different time.
Did you post a pic (that I missed) of her legs? I would like to see if my friend might know ANYTHING.
InnBetween - much, strong, healing energy sent to you from our home, too. KEEP THE FAITH, GIRLS!!! It will all get BETTER. It has to.
Thanks
~music
Music I hadn't posted anything about her. Spending all my time trying to catch up on many things here that have to be done before snows come so I haven't had much free time. I've even been posting less these days as I get on the computer mostly evenings after I get all my paperwork for our business done. I pop in for a second or two during the day. Raining here right now so that things are quiet enough I can sit here for a while.
MollyD
Music -would you please post those to the bird link thread?