Oh, dry fowl pox. Just the name sounds like something you'd rather not find on your feathered friends, and honestly? We agree with the tough call here: keep the flock together, even though every instinct screams "isolate!" It's the classic chicken-keeper's dilemma, do you quarantine the patient and risk a lonely recovery, or let the virus run its course and build a fortress of immunity for everyone? Our take is that you trust the science (and the scabs), because a full-flock immune system is worth a few weeks of ugly spots.
The original poster is stuck between two conflicting Google results, and we've all been there. One search says isolate her, the next says let it spread so they all get immune. It's enough to make you want to Is 11 teenage chickens in a coop all day fowl play or just cluck-tastic and hide in the feed shed. But here's the thing: dry fowl pox is slow. It moves like a lazy summer afternoon, not a barn fire. The scabs on that poor hen's head? They'll stay for a few weeks, then dry up and fall off like bad glitter. The small spots on the other hens? Those will likely do the same, and no, you can't really "dry them out" faster without risking more irritation. Just keep the coop clean, boost their nutrition, and let their immune systems do the heavy lifting.
What this means for you, right now, is that you're not a bad chicken parent if you leave them together. You're actually playing the long game. Think of it like a weird, spotty vaccination drive. The stress of isolation might actually hurt more than the pox itself, especially if your flock is as clingy as Our lap chickens turn into grain-gobbling maniacs the second the bag appears. Those lap chickens would be devastated by a week in solitary. So keep an eye on the scabs, watch for secondary infections, and remember that once this passes, your whole flock will be tougher for it.
One specific takeaway: don't pick at the scabs. We know it's tempting. They look like they're begging to be flicked off like a loose button. But picking can open the door to bacterial infections that are way worse than the pox itself. Let them fall off naturally, and in the meantime, maybe start planning a "pox party" treat day for when everyone's clear. After all, a flock that survives fowl pox together deserves an egg-citing celebration, and a little extra scratch grain.