disease in chickens - Ask Extension
Our chickens have developed bumpy skin around the eyes and wattles. They are lethargic and have quit laying. It appears they may be molting as well. T...
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disease in chickens #775789
Asked October 19, 2021, 10:16 AM EDT
Our chickens have developed bumpy skin around the eyes and wattles. They are lethargic and have quit laying. It appears they may be molting as well. Two have died suddenly. I have never experienced this before in over 40 years of having a flock.Any ideas would be helpful?
St. Clair County Michigan
Expert Response
Good afternoon Rex,
Thank you for contacting Michigan State University Extension with your question regarding your chickens. After consulting with our Poultry Extension Specialist, Dr. Zac Williams, we are thinking your chickens may have Fowl Pox. Fowl Pox typically needs to run its course and most birds recover on their own. That being said, some can die from Fowl Pox, though that is not very common, so watch your birds closely. If you continue to see mortalities, let me know and we can chat further about potential next steps. It is good to know that those birds that have had Fowl Pox will become carriers and can infect other birds, so if you plan to introduce any new birds into your flock, it would be beneficial to keep the new birds as their own flock and not add them to your current flock.
Please let me know what other questions you may have and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!
Sincerely,
Erica Rogers
Environmental Management Educator
Thank you for contacting Michigan State University Extension with your question regarding your chickens. After consulting with our Poultry Extension Specialist, Dr. Zac Williams, we are thinking your chickens may have Fowl Pox. Fowl Pox typically needs to run its course and most birds recover on their own. That being said, some can die from Fowl Pox, though that is not very common, so watch your birds closely. If you continue to see mortalities, let me know and we can chat further about potential next steps. It is good to know that those birds that have had Fowl Pox will become carriers and can infect other birds, so if you plan to introduce any new birds into your flock, it would be beneficial to keep the new birds as their own flock and not add them to your current flock.
Please let me know what other questions you may have and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!
Sincerely,
Erica Rogers
Environmental Management Educator
