The Poultry Keeper The Independent Forum for Poultry Keepers    FAQ   Search     Register   Log in  Black spots, is it fowlpox?          The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Poultry Clinic Author Message alex and gill Joined: 08 Sep 2008 Posts: 2 Location: shrewsbury Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:06 pm    Post subject: Black spots, is it fowlpox? We have a few problems in our previously peaceful brood. Firstly our rooster, Nick, a French Maran has developed black spots all over his comb, these have also started to appear on Tess, our white Sussex. Could it be fowlpox? Also Nick has started to become really vicious with his girls - blood has been spilt. He's about 18 weeks. What do we do?? Back to top Henwife Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3540 Location: Monmouthshire Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:29 am    Post subject: If a cockerel is vicious at so young an age I would suggest he becomes coq au vin. It could well be fowl pox from your description, but there's nothing you can do but let it run its course, unless you want a vet to get a biopsy done to confirm it. It is spread by mosquitoes. Back to top jubilee Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 125 Location: nottinghamshire Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:49 pm    Post subject: Agree totally with the above post, some young cockerels get a little over amourous on occations, but blood shouldn't be drawn! and if he's nasty now, he may well be dangerously so when the full on hormone thing starts when he matures! But if it is fowl pox, i would suggest not so much coq au vin, but, cock in bin! i wouldn't want to eat a diseased bird! Back to top Pekinout Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1219 Location: Cornwall Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 1:34 pm    Post subject: Found this on the poultry site regards fowl pox. Quote: Avian Pox Also known as: Avipoxvirus, DNA virus, also called “avian pox” Symptoms: Pox sores are seen on the unfeathered areas such as the head, neck, feet and legs. The sores begin as red pimples which develop into pimples filled with fluid (vesicles) and then pus (pustules). Finally, as the pustules burst open, crusts or scabs form. Pox is characterized by raised, blister-like lesions that develop on unfeathered areas (head, legs, vent, etc.) of the bird. If the lesions are around the eyes, then swelling may occur with impairment of eyesight and possibly blindness in severe cases. Ordinarily, the eyeball itself remains unaffected and, once lesions are resolved, eyesight should return to normal. Clinical signs/Necropsy: Cutaneous – Wart like nodular lesions on un-feathered skin of chickens and head/upper neck of turkeys. Lesions may also appear on feet, legs, around nostrils, and on eyelids. Lesions become yellowish, progress to thick dark scabs, and may coalesce. There are 2 main strains of the disease, the first appearing as greyish warty scabs on the comb, wattles and faces of the birds. The can result in serious disfigurement making such birds useless for showing. The second strain is more serious, causing cheesy substances to form in the respiratory passages, particularly the throat, which can cause death by asphyxiation Treatment: There is no sure cure, other than treating the scabs with iodine and scraping the muck out of the birds' throats and painting with iodine Clear the eyes and beaks so they can see to eat and drink on their own, use warm water with a very weak solution of iodine in the water Postmortem Findings: The second strain is more serious, causing cheesy substances to form in the respiratory passages, particularly the throat, which can cause death by asphyxiation Reference use for this article: http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/dissymp.htm The Chicken Health Handbook ... by Gail Damerow ****** Cause: Pox is a viral disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes. Avian pox is a viral disease that affects many types of birds. Fowl pox primarily affects chickens and turkeys. Pigeon pox affects pigeons, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese. Canary pox infects canaries, chickens, sparrows, and probably other species. Progression: Slow-spreading infection. Begins with cutaneous form and goes to diphtheritic form (GI and respiratory). It is a Virus It is spread by direct contact with infected birds Mosquitoes carry the virus from wild & other birds Use mosquito management programs to help reduce the mosquito population Transmission: Direct contact through skin abrasions. Mosquitoes may serve as mechanical vectors. Mortality: Low mortality, but decreased production. Diphtheritic – Lesions on mucous membranes of part or entire digestive and respiratory tracts. Caseous patches or proliferative masses. High mortality. Birds often recover from Fowl Pox but can remain carriers Diagnosis: Characteristic lesions. PCR is available. Histo -- Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in epithelial cells on microscopy. Infected cells are also enlarged, with associated inflammatory changes. DDx: Infectious laryngotracheitis Prevention: Vaccine available Vaccinate soon after hatching up to 2 weeks of age. All should then be revaccinated at 12-14 weeks of age A vaccine is available which is applied with a two prong needle into the flap of skin on the wing. Unlike Mareks Disease where the vaccine must be given at day old, Fowl Pox vaccine can be given to birds of all age If it’s Dry Pox Treatment of bird - Dry Pox You need to isolate the bird and put it into an uncrowded area, remove the scabs around the mouth and eyes so the bird can eat and see Symptoms Dry Pox, has small yellow warts that appear on the wattles, comb and face These increase in size as the disease spreads Dark brown scabs form, and then drop off Secondary infections To prevent secondary infections occurring you need to treat with 300 mg oxytetracycline (Terramycin) per gallon of drinking water for 3 days followed by vitamin supplement in the water, do not give the vitamins at the same time as the medication, one will cancel the other out Recovery The good news is that the birds naturally recover in 2 to 4 weeks usually, and are somtimes immune to this particular strain of the disease but most remain carriers, and can have reoccurances when under stressful situataions Reinfection But some remain carriers and may become reinfected during molt and other times of stress; thoroughly clean the housing the bird has been in to remove all the infective scabs that may have come off Human and the Pox Another bit of good news, is that "chicken pox" in humans is caused by a different virus that has nothing to do the chickens, so no human health risk is involved Now... if its Wet Pox Treatment of the bird The bird may have a thick discharge that interferes with its breathing, so clear the airways with cotton swabs coated with iodine, otherwise just treat it the same as dry pox Swab lesion with Lugol’s solution of iodine Symptoms Wet Pox, has yellow cheesy lesions in the mouth and in the windpipe Vaccination is recommended in areas of large mosquito populations Treatment At least now you know what it is, Betadine is a good iodine to use on the sores Make sure the birds are getting fresh water every day, and fresh clean food every day With taking the antibiotics, your bird may get diarrhea, give it some yoghurt plain and unsweetened (live culture) will bring the bowel back into a normal function, mix 2 tablespoon with some dry food every day for the next 2 weeks Pox supportive treatment for blind birds If it is Pox. Supportive treatment is all you can do. If there are any that are blind, put them in a small area, make sure they can all find waterers and feeders, make sure you don't move them once they are all familiar with where they are. Leave them in peace and quiet as much as you possibly can to reduce stress, you do not want a cocci outbreak to complicate things. Standard treatment for Pox is nothing, as in DO NOTHING, they will recover, and a fatality from dry Pox is quite rare. The good news is, once they have recovered they are immune to that particular strain of Poxvirus and will never catch that again. Treat your mosquito population; this is what is causing the outbreaks Unless you bring in new birds from somewhere, where the Pox is of a different strain, you may very well never see this in your birds again They would have marks on the other areas if it were fowl pox. They can get black marks on their combs that seem to come and go, sometimes it's caused by frostbite, sometimes just insect bites. Midges and Mozzies can bite them and cause black spots. So keep an eye on them for any of the fowl pox symptoms, and if they don't develop any, then it's nothing to worry about. Back to top alex and gill Joined: 08 Sep 2008 Posts: 2 Location: shrewsbury Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:29 pm    Post subject: Thanks everyone for your replies- neither bird are in any way distressed or off their food but i'll keep a good eye on them. Things seem to have settled down, Tess is sensibly keeping out of Nick's way - he doesn't bother the other hens, he probably remembers how nasty she was with him when he was little. Serves her right really! Back to top EGirl Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1322 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:35 am    Post subject: Just a thought, but if they've been squabbling the black spots might be where they've each drawn blood from the other....combs also bleed heavily. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Poultry Clinic All times are GMT + 1 Hour Page 1 of 1 Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group