Do chickens get chicken pox?

Chickens image via Shutterstock. The birds themselves? Not a whole lot. Chickens don't even get infected by the virus — varicella zoster, a member of the herpes family — that causes the rash. read more

Not a whole lot. Chickens don’t even get infected by the virus — varicella zoster, a member of the herpes family — that causes the rash. (They can however, get an infection with similar effects called fowl pox.) The name, rather, likely comes from chickens’ association with weakness and wimpiness*. read more

). But chicken pox is caused by a herpesvirus, and chickens certainly have herpesviruses, including Marek's Disease Virus and Infectious Laryngotracheitis. read more

Chickens with pox may, as noted above, get secondary bacterial infections while they are immune compromised from the pox virus. Bleaching / disinfecting will help keep down bacterial transmissions; it doesn't do anything to control pox, as it is solely mosquito borne. read more