Fowl Pox in Backyard Poultry Flocks

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in keeping small backyard poultry flocks by both urban and rural residents across Tennessee. There are several common diseases that threaten small flocks that can easily be vaccinated against and should be considered in any flock health management program. Fowl pox (also known as avian pox) is one such common disease in backyard, hobby and exhibition poultry flocks. The pox virus is also capable of causing disease in almost any avian species, including pigeons, wild birds, turkeys, ducks, quail and pheasants, along with all breeds of chickens. Infected birds exhibit poor growth, reduced egg production, weight loss, and possibly death in severely infected flocks. The disease was a known problem as far back as the 17th century and continues to cause problems today.