Herminone is sick again

[Deleted]

She recovered fromt he pox and so I put her back out in the barn. She kept getting stuck upside down in weird places so I got into the habit of looking for her everytime I went back there. Well yesterday she was absolutely pitiful. Poop stuck to her bottom, thin, uncoordinated, eye goop... So back into the isolation pen for her. I feel so bad for her. She's such a personable little thing. Rides on my shoulder and LOVES to be scratched. I may make her a diaper and let her live in the house...

[Kathy]

I think a house chicken might be her best life. She sounds so darn sweet not to mention attached to you!


I thought you might enjoy these sites.

www.chickendiapers.com/index.html

www.flightquarters.com/index.html

[Deleted]

Cricket, I missed hearing about this before. Is Hermione a chicken? What's the history? Maybe I can help.

~Lannie

[Deleted]

She caught the chicken pox. Go figure. I didn't know if she was going to live even...then I didn't know if she'd be blind because the pox were so close to her eyes and her eys matted shut. Then I didn't know if she would walk properly...she walked like a german soldier. She got very much better and was rather miserable in her cage so I turned her out. She still had bubbles in her eyes so I knew she wasn't 100% but...well...I felt guilty. Anyway...now her one eye is matted shut and she's lost all of the weight and is again not grooming, etc. She's extremely uncoordinated so I have her food and water where she doesn't have to get up to eat or drink. I'll try to take a pic and post it.

[Deleted]

OK, so you think she still has the pox virus then?

Can you get some oil of oregano? NOT the essential oil, but the kind that you can ingest. That would be my first choice, 1 drop with an eyedropper maybe twice a day. It's pretty potent stuff but it will knock out a virus such as chicken pox in no time. I'm guessing on the dosage for a chicken, and erring on the cautious side, so you might be able to give her a little more, maybe 3 or 4 times a day.

If you have a health food store you can go to, get a small bottle of Oreganol brand oil of oregano. It comes in regular and super-strength. For a chicken, the regular should be fine. (Maybe you already have some of this? I think I remember you said you were thinking about getting some... or maybe I'm confused.)

~Lannie

P.S. It might not be a bad idea to give a drop a day to the other chickens just in case, for a few days anyway.

[Kathy]

I found this article on poultry viral diseases.
I think Lannie is right on about giving the rest of your birds a preventative treatment. It looks like this can slowly spread to more birds in the flock.

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).

www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/disviral.htm

[bergere]

Kathy got there before me. Cricket I am sorry she has this. But it might be best to put her down.

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.

[Deleted]

Oregano oil will kill the pox virus. But it's a "natural" remedy and as such isn't recognized by mainstream medicine (MD's or vets).

If she's not too far gone, it should pull her out of it.

~Lannie

[bergere]

My only worry is she seems to have had it a long time.
Hope I am wrong though.

[Kathy]

bergere said:

My only worry is she seems to have had it a long time.
Hope I am wrong though.

I'm not sure but I think it's been about 3 1/2 wks or so.

From this part of my research it seems that she's still within the time frame. Poor little chicken.

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

[Deleted]

Actually we've been dealing with this for about 6 weeks or so. She was in the cage for 3 wks and then out for about 3 wks... As best as I can remember. I will find some tomorrow... I have GSE but not the other. I was going to get some the last timeI went to the store but they didn't have it. I'll go to another store tomorrow cause I'll be on the other side of the county.