Scaly Leg Mites - Need Best / Easiest / Quickest Solution - Scaley

secobarbital said:

The vaseline worked like a miracle, most of the crusts disappeared overnight! We could actually see the dark color that her silkie feet are supposed to be! So we have been doing that for a couple of weeks, but there are some clumps left, and it looks like the mites have cut off circulation to the joints in several places. Will be cutting her nails tomorrow to test which ones are "alive" but right now the last segment of one toe has fallen off and some look like they are held together only by the crusts

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OH MY they look SO MUCH BETTER!!!! Please post what you found as fara s blood flow....You might have to take a pair of needle nose pliers to break up those clumps of gook. Even if the blood is very very dark after you cut the nail, flex the toe and see if you can get anymore blood to flow....but best to get those clumps off to see whats going on..BRAVO for a good job! LOL

We adopted a bantam Silver Spangled Hamburg hen last fall. She had a pronounced limp and (what I now know to be) the telltale crusties on her legs. At the time, I wasn't sure what was going on or what to do. This spring I did sort of figure things out and started treating her legs with VetRX. We saw some improvement but there was so much crud built-up, she was still limping.

After finding this thread, I brought her into the house and soaked her feet for ~30 mins. That softened the crud and I was able to use a combination of tweezers, a cuticle removing tool and a paring knife to get most of build-up off. Her toenails were quite long and hooked, so I cut them back as I would my dogs. She has light nails so you can still see live cuticle bed. One of her outside toes lost the nail completely.

I have her confined in a cat carrier with some snacks and water while her leg feathers dry. I've also treated her legs with antibiotic ointment in hopes that the rest of the crud with slough off this afternoon.

A great big thank you to froggiesheins for the doctoring advice. I sort knew what to do but it helps immensely to read someone else's experience.

smallbatchfarm said:

We adopted a bantam Silver Spangled Hamburg hen last fall. She had a pronounced limp and (what I now know to be) the telltale crusties on her legs. At the time, I wasn't sure what was going on or what to do. This spring I did sort of figure things out and started treating her legs with VetRX. We saw some improvement but there was so much crud built-up, she was still limping.

After finding this thread, I brought her into the house and soaked her feet for ~30 mins. That softened the crud and I was able to use a combination of tweezers, a cuticle removing tool and a paring knife to get most of build-up off. Her toenails were quite long and hooked, so I cut them back as I would my dogs. She has light nails so you can still see live cuticle bed. One of her outside toes lost the nail completely.

I have her confined in a cat carrier with some snacks and water while her leg feathers dry. I've also treated her legs with antibiotic ointment in hopes that the rest of the crud with slough off this afternoon.

A great big thank you to froggiesheins for the doctoring advice. I sort knew what to do but it helps immensely to read someone else's experience.

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SO GLAD I was able to help another birdie and their human.. LOL I hope that all the nails that were left had blood flow in them..pictures of your Hamburg [er] pehaps???

She must have lost the end of one toe, and the nail, to the mites before I got her. The foot that she favored had a lot of damage to one toe- almost like something was around the toe cutting off circulation. I was able to soak her feet again (she fell asleep) and remove the remainder of the large chunks. Including the worst of the raised scales and crud from her worst toe. When I go through the whole process again tomorrow, I'll snap pictures of Duchess getting a pedicure.

But I know she is already able to flex her feet better than she has in the last year (?) I even tried some PT by putting her on a roost bar to see if all her toes could 'grab'. Success!

thank you but i do not have dirty housing and a couple of our chickens have mites .

skicawcaw mama said:

thank you but i do not have dirty housing and a couple of our chickens have mites .

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I have seen this too, where within a group of birds some do / some don't . As for why??? HAVE NOT A CLUE. Maybe its the way the individual bird tastes [to the bugs that is] . Would love to know why.....
All you can do is treat it and get rid of them. Wish I had more info on that.. They don't come back once they are erradicated from the affected bird... so that part is good.....LOL

shellrae7 said:

Did anyone mention Diotomaceous earth? Its fabulous preventative for all sorts of buggy problems. I use it in my chickens food, bedding, nests, and all over the ground.

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I use DE in my coop, run, crates (for sick chicks), brooder, feed, and I have a SLM issue. : (

Great info! I wanted to post a comment on here just so I can easily read it later! Sounds like leg mites are common, and even though my birds are only a couple months old, I might need this info again someday!

Thanks!

Just read through all 20 pages. I adopted a hen and thought her feet were nasty but I am new to chickens so thought they just had nasty feet. Sure, hers looked worse than my chicks' but my chicks were pampered by my standards so it made sense. Ran across SLM information by accident. Now, I'm quite angry at myself and trying to figure out the best plan of action. I've been attempting the deep litter method for my coop and it seems to be okay but it isn't perfect. Either way, DE is a normal part of my coop, run, brooder, etc. (see my previous comment) and yet this appears to be spreading to my other girls. They get garlic in their water often and always in their food so garlic won't cure it alone. I've been putting coconut oil on their legs but do not feel this is enough. I guess it is time to completely strip the coop, bathe, scrub, and slather feet. Joy. Just ordered some Nu-stock. Won't be adopting more grown or half grown birds again. Chicks only from now on. The amount of help this hen has needed is just upsetting. Will need to stay away from craigslist and such from now on, as well, since I can't seem to stop myself from wanting to save birds. Jeez.

We have a horrible case in our flock.. They can be brought in by the smaller wild birds, Starlings are the worst. My mom uses crisco and paints it on their legs.