AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Ok, Ill try to keep this short.

We recently built a chicken run after doing a bit of research online and from family advice. We purchased 5 Isa Brown pullets between 18-22 weeks about two months ago from a hatchery in Perth WA. The girls were going well, laying 5 eggs a day until last week they began showing signs of Fowl Pox. Over the back fence is someone with some Hens and a Rooster, you can also hear many chickens in the local area.

Question 1, From my research Fowl Pox can be transmitted by mosquito, is it likely that if my Chickens had it because they were not vaccinated as chicks, Is it likely to pass to the other birds on the neighbours property?

Question 2, What are the obligations of commercial hatcheries in regards to vaccination?

Question 3, Where can I have any future birds Vaccinated/Can I perform this myself?

The egg laying has dropped a little with the pox, but already they are looking healthier on the wattle and comb. I have also read that so long as their respiratory system is not affected they should come through it ok.

Question 4, is this correct?

With the recent rain we had in Perth some of the food in our feeder was wet so we spread it around on the lawn in the run. When I was there a few days later there were many doves on the lawn and when my mother in law checked on the run today there were feathers all over the place and three dove carcasses picked to the bone.

Question 4, Do chickens attack doves?

Question 5, If the doves were attacked on the ground by a cat/something else and killed, would the chickens pick and eat the doves?

Question 6, Would there be any risk of the chickens contracting another illness from contact with the doves? Should we avoid the eggs for a while?

Thanks for any help you may be able to offer!

I will try my best here:

1) The chances are the mosquitoes will pass onto the neighbours chickens anyway - you do not have to feel guilty about anything and there is nothing you can do. The neighbours chooks my have had it first anyway its just one of those things.

2)As far as I know commercial hatcheries vaccinate for Mareks and Avian Influenza - not sure what the law is but you should be able to check from the store that you purchased your chooks from what diseases they have been vaccinated from.

3) You can vaccinate chooks yourself but the vaccines are very expensive and unless you have a very large number is not cost efficient. For e.g a vaccine for 1000 chooks will cost around $120 but has to be used in say a 24 hr period so it will cost the same for 5 chooks as it would for 1000 - hence small backyard owners tend not to vaccinate.

4) Yes this is correct - unless the pox are near the nostrils or mouth area and then cause respiratory problems your chooks will come through fine - they will also then be self immune for up to 7 years after contracting the pox this time. So not all bad news - I had a bad bout of it last year all my chooks survived without any side effects and have all been good since.

5) Chickens will chase the wild birds away but I would find it very hard to believe that a chicken would kill one let alone three. I would suspect however that being meat eaters if there was a carcass there they would eat it. I would think though it was more likely that whatever killed the doves would have done most of the eating.

6) I am not sure whether they woud contract any illness from the birds unless the birds were sick and that is why they fell fowl to being killed - I would worm the chooks to be sure and keep an eye on their poos for anything unusual e.g any diarrhoah or yellow/green/blood stained poos anything other than the usual brown/black with the hint of white. I see no reason to avoid the eggs. If you have to treat the chooks with any medication following signs of diarrhoa then there is generally a withholding period involved then.

I have only had chooks for 2 years and am still learning every day so welcome to the trials and tribulations of poultry keeping - enjoy the eggs and your chooks !!! Hope all goes well !!

Maisyfleur

Question 1, Yes it is transmitted by mosquitoes that have feasted on infected birds and can pass it on to a number of birds in their short lives

Question 2, No obligation what so ever the onus is on each hatchery and their decision to vaccinate or not - to date there is no vaccination for Avian Influenza in OZ [to my knowledge anyway]
Brian Larkin Poultry in NSW - I have been told he travels to various states at different times of the year
he vaccinates for Mareks Disease, Fowl Pox, Infectious Bronchitis at day old, I.L.T. at 10 days, Coryza at 8 weeks
he sells
White cross - White Leghorn/New Hampshire
Black cross - Australorp/New Hampshire
Red cross - Rhode Island Red/New Hampshire
I highly recommend him to everyone wanting quality birds for egg production

Question 3, You have to ask if they are done and hope for honesty or do it yrself
NSW supplier 02 98311578 when ordering vaccine ask for the ‘pronged applicator' as well also ask how it is administered and at what minimum age. They can be done as adult birds if they have not yet been infected [to my knowledge] –
VIC supplier 03 58794488
a number of breeders vaccinate each year before the height of the mosquito season

The egg laying has dropped a little with the pox, but already they are looking healthier on the wattle and comb. I have also read that so long as their respiratory system is not affected they should come through it ok. Correct the larger number of birds infected do recover depending on the strain of the disease - it has been likened unto human chicken pox by some

Question 4, is this correct? yes

With the recent rain we had in Perth some of the food in our feeder was wet so we spread it around on the lawn in the run. When I was there a few days later there were many doves on the lawn and when my mother in law checked on the run today there were feathers all over the place and three dove carcasses picked to the bone.

Question 4 mkII, Yes they can and occasionally will attack any bird not known to them

Question 5, Yes chooks are omnivores to some extent the sight of blood gets them excited and they go for it and wont stop until every bit of meat is gone
Question 6, Yes they could potentially contract disease and or parasites from the doves - I am not saying they will just that they could – no you don’t have to avoid the eggs
Thanks for any help you may be able to offer! yr welcome - it isn’t much but it may help

Thanks for your help and advice people!

Im thinking that it could be worth roofing the run. We are in Beckenham a suburb in Perth so it could be of some benefit to roof it to stop predators and also mixing with wild birds as suggested in one of the stickies on the front page.

I need to do a little work around the garden and in the pen today so I might take some pictures of our ladies.

I will add that doves can carry many diseases and worms so I would recomend you roof you coop.


From Natural Resources & Environment

Spotted turtle-doves may also carry parasites and disease

What You Can do
If you have a problem with spotted turtle-doves around your house, you might consider the following options:

Avoid feeding your pets outside, as this attracts spotted turtle-doves into your yard, where they are provided with a free meal.
Always cover chicken pens to prevent access to spotted turtle-doves. This discourages them from coming into your yard.

I can only answer for 4,5 and 6.

yes chooks will attack doves, pigeons or any other bird they can corner in their runs and yes they will eat them.

they will also pick at and eat any meat in their pen so that means doves too, I know of people who feed caught mice to their chooks for protein.

I'd imagine worms would be a big problem with the chooks pecking/eating any rodent or bird, worming them thoroughly on a regular basis would be a good idea anyway.

Roofing the pen will only work if you do not leave the door open for them to free range as the doves/other birds will still go in there for the food (mine did).