With all the rain and wet weather that most of us have had in the last month or so, I thought it would be a good idea to get this article out and dust it off and reprint it with some minor changes. While basically there is nothing new to report as far as vaccines and remedies are concerned , the amount of calls that I have received over the last several weeks has increased dramatically. Wet weather brings mosquitoes and mosquitoes usually bring Pox.

What is Fowl Pox: It is a common viral disease of chickens and turkeys . Fowl Pox is generally a slow spreading virus, that in many ways when left untreated, will nickle dime a flock to death. Usually it will move slowly through a flock with just a few birds here and there showing any symptoms and may take a month or more to move through a flock depending on the size of the flock and weather factors. It is related to but not the same virus that causes chicken pox in humans. There are basically two forms of Fowl Pox and both are caused by different pox viruses. The Dry Pox is the most common form of Fowl Pox and usually appears as a bump or nodule on the skin, face ,eyelids ,comb or wattles. It may also appear on the unfeathered portions of the legs and feet as well as the cloaca or vent area. Progression of the disease usually leads to wart like or scabbing of the affected areas. Generally mortality with this form of Pox is little to none depending on how severe a problem you have and the overall health and parasite load ( infestation with both internal and external parasites ) that a flock may have. The other form of Fowl Pox is called Wet Pox and is caused by a different Fowl Pox virus than the one that causes the Dry Pox .These lesions ( sores ) are usually found in the mouth ,eyes and the upper respiratory tract of birds .These lesions ( sores ) may be found in the mouth and the esophagus and look like yellow raised spots. It is these lesions ( sores ) that can and do grow in the back of the throat and cause a bird to suffocate. Generally mortality from the Wet Pox is higher and is subject to the same conditions as the Dry Pox. It is not uncommon to have both forms of Pox at the same time. When this occurs mortality can be high. The Pox viruses infect birds of all ages, sexes and breeds.

How is Fowl Pox Spread: Generally Fowl Pox is spread through mechanical transmission of the virus. It must enter the birds body through a laceration ( cut, bite ) or other abrasion of the skin. Biting insects can be responsible for the spread of this disease. Insects that may be harboring the virus ,may even spread the virus by depositing it in the eyes of the birds. Feathers and dust area a viable source of the Pox virus and may be a source of the Wet Pox infection. The dander given off by the birds skin is highly contagious with the Pox virus. Research suggests that the upper respiratory area and the mouth region appear to be highly susceptible to the Pox virus even in the absence of abrasions to the mouth area. Insects ,such as mosquitoes ,biting flies ,and the Northern Fowl Mite are also transmitters of the disease. Birds that have oral lesions (sores in the mouth ) in their mouth ,may also spread the disease through contaminated water cups.

Incubation Period: Usually the incubation period for Pox is 5 to 10 days. This period may vary depending on the type of Pox ( Wet or Dry ) that is causing the disease.

Pox Symptoms : Dry Pox: Small raised nodules or wart like lesions may first appear as a mosquito bite but then develop into a sore followed by scabbing of the lesion. The lesions may appear on any of the unfeathered portions of the body. In baby chicks , the only symptom may be that of abnormal feather growth. Depressed growth may also be a symptom in baby chicks. Normal Pox lesions are usually seen in birds as young as 4 weeks of age.

Wet Pox: With the Wet Pox the lesions usually form on the mucous membranes of the mouth ,esophagus or trachea ( wind pipe ) of the infected birds. Some birds may have labored breathing and a rattle as well. In the more severe cases the labored breathing and the rattle may become quite pronounced.

What can be done to prevent Fowl Pox: Vaccination is the best method to prevent Fowl Pox in most cases. Prevent as best that you can Northern Fowl Mites ,Lice ,Mosquitos and other biting insects as they will help spread the disease.

Proper vaccination technique: Read all directions at least 1 to 2 days before you plan to vaccinate. This way if you have any questions concerning what to do you will have an opportunity to call and get the clarification that is needed in order to proceed. ONCE THE VACCINE IS MIXED WITH THE DILUENT YOU HAVE ABOUT 2 TO 2 ½ HOURS TO USE THE VACCINE . AFTER THAT TIME THE MAJORITY OF THE VACCINE IS DEAD AND DISCARD THE REMAINING CONTENTS ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURERS DIRECTIONS AND OPEN A NEW BOTTLE IF NECESSARY TO FINISH VACCINATING. Pull some feathers( about the diameter of a nickel ) from the underside of the web of the wing. This is that flap of skin that is located at the back of the wing at the second joint if you are counting where the wing attaches to the birds body. Dip the double pronged stabber in the freshly mixed vaccine. With your vaccine loaded stabber you will push the stabber from the underside of the wing all the way through until the stabber bottoms out and then remove the stabber and reload it and do the same thing to the remaining birds until all birds have been vaccinated. Making sure not to hit any bone structures in the wing during vaccination. Failure to pull enough wing feathers will result in the vaccine being deposited on the feathers and not in the holes made by the stabber. This is a major cause of vaccination failures. Pox vaccine can not be administered in the drinking water.

How ,do I know if my birds are properly vaccinated : Approximately 7 days after Pox vaccination has taken place ,you should look at the vaccination ( under the wing web ) site for what is called a take. This will look like a small scab or bump at the place where the Wing Stabber went through the skin of the wing. A lack of takes may indicate that vaccination was not successful ,this may be due to improper vaccination technique or improper vaccine handling or storage. It may also mean that the birds had been vaccinated before and still have some immunity or that the birds may have had natural exposure to Pox before vaccination and therefore they will have some immunity.

What to do in the face of a Pox outbreak: Immediately start vaccinating all birds not yet showing symptoms of Pox ,and work towards those who do have the Pox but do not vaccinate any birds that are showing symptoms. If you do it will make it worse and probably cause mortality. Put a general antibiotic in the drinking water as well as a good vitamin and electrolyte package as this may ward off any secondary bacterial infections that often accompany an outbreak of Fowl Pox.

There are two different Pox vaccines one is used on birds from one day old up to about 5 weeks of age and the other is an Older bird Pox vaccine and is used on birds from 8 weeks of age and up. Vaccine names and the age timing will vary by manufacturer but if you vaccinate birds with a young bird vaccine you must follow up later with the older bird vaccine in order to get long term immunity. Failure to do so will make your birds vulnerable to a Pox outbreak should the right conditions exist. The cost of the Pox vaccine is $ 6.00 per 1000 dose bottle .

During a Pox outbreak swabbing the scabbed over sores with Iodine has been shown to shorten the course of the disease. Putting Oxine in the drinking water or fogging the Oxine in the coop will also be of benefit. It may also be of value to vaccinate all birds with the young Pox vaccine first and then come back in a few months and re-vaccinate with the older Pox to get some long term immunity. This approach has helped quite a few people overcome Pox as the young Pox virus vaccine is quite mild and will not usually cause the disease after use. The choice is yours as it will require more labor to vaccinate your flock a second time but it is certainly worth the effort. The additional cost as far as the vaccine is concerned is about $ 6.00 per 1000 doses of vaccine.