Help needed - Scaly leg mites or ???

[chanteclerflock]

I've got about two dozen chickens, ranging in age from 1 to 4 years, mix of breed (sex links, austrolorps, chanteclers, a few others). I noticed what at first I thought was scaly leg mites, but now I'm not so sure. I treated them all by soaking their legs in oil a number of times over three weeks, cleaning out the hen house and treating it with permethrin twice 10 days apart. For the most part they seem to be healing, so if that was the problem I may have it under control.

But then I started thinking about it. As I understand it the leg mites get under the scales, and their waste products build up and lift the scales. On my birds, several of them have scales, or a whole series of scales, that stick straight out, no lift up so much as pointing straight out. The worst is my one dominique, who has a series of maybe 10 scales all sticking out. A few of the other birds have just a couple isolated scales that stick out.

So what I'm trying to figure out is if scaly leg mites could cause something like that, or if it might be something else. Any information anyone might have would be appreciated.

 

[klmclain1]

Sounds like scaly leg mites to me... could you post a few pictures?

 

[BirdyMe]

Scaly leg mites will do that- they've done it to all of my older birds. I dip their legs in an oil/kerosene mix (two parts vegetable oil to 1 part kerosene) for 10 days. If there is lots of buildup under the scales, you can use some vaseline repeatedly to soften it up.

 

[ladrholman]

Sounds like it... I have a Frizzle who had them... left lumps on her legs where the scales lifts... treated with the oil, the scales sluffed off and have healed and regrown.. I had thought maybe the lumps were just part of her legs as she is an odd little bird... but now she has nice legs again!

 

[chanteclerflock]

Thanks for the input. Based on that I'll just stay the course. I will keep an eye on them to make sure it doesn't come back.

 

[farmnfowl]

I agree its scaly leg mites,the oil and kerosene are good cures as they suffocate the mites.it does take time to heal the legs from the damage the mites cause.i use vaseline and mix it up with some permethion poultry dust.the vaseline seems to speed up the healing process a little better than the oil and kerosene and its not as messy.hope this helps

 

[EggyErin]

I used Vaseline with a few drops of Campophenique and it worked great.