Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Fowl pox??  (Read 1725 times)

Slimjim

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • North Devon
Fowl pox??
« on: April 21, 2014, 11:42:04 am »
My Andalusian cockerel has developed a disc of grey scabby stuff on his comb. It seems to be right through the comb since it appears on both sides. About the size of a 10p piece. Today another scabby thing has appeared on his white "ears" or whatever they are called. Could this be fowl pox?
One of the hens has sort of blisters  around her eyes and has a very marked bald patch at the top of her folded wings and elsewhere. She is feeding ok but seems a bit under the weather. Could this be related to the cockerel's problem? Is there a solution or is euthanasia the most humane thing to do?
Thanks in advance for your help.

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Fowl pox??
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2014, 12:53:47 pm »
That sounds like really bad news Slimjim. It's quite a rare thing in the UK but common around the world. We thought we had that with one of our cockerels in the UK and we have three here with the same symptoms as you describe now.


The one in the UK injured his comb and it never got better. We put everything we could on it but the scab just kept growing. The export vet didn't notice it and I didn't tell him. Funny thing though when we got to France it healed up and just vanished in a few weeks. The cockerel was put in a new coop with two different hens.


Now we have three again and I can tell you exactly what the cause of it is in our case. The hens are eating the cockerels combs. It scabs over at night and they pick it again in the morning. It starts I think with overenthusiastic preening and just keeps going. We have tried Stockholm tar, but unless it is applied fresh every morning they peck it off. The solution we have is to fit Bumpa Beak Bits which you can get mail order from Omlet. You need a pair of 'external circlip pliers' to fit them. In our case they are now all healing nicely.


So hopefully Slimjim that is the problem and the solution. I don't think there is a cure for Fowl Pox but never consulted with a vet.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS