Leg mites?

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Do my hens have mites? I’ve noticed my almost 3yr old Easter egger acting weird and she’s already lost and regrown all her feathers from lice so I went to check her and noticed she had raised scales. It’s pretty cold here- about 26F with snow to my ankles but she has full access to food, water the coop and the barn.

Also are her talons at trimming length?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What do you mean she's acting weird - can you please describe the symptoms?

The scales on the legs are slightly raised, could be due to age or possibly SLM. If it's 26F I would be hesitant to put anything on the legs until it warms up some.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

What do you mean she's acting weird - can you please describe the symptoms?

The scales on the legs are slightly raised, could be due to age or possibly SLM. If it's 26F I would be hesitant to put anything on the legs until it warms up some.

She’s standing stiffly, when I went out she was all puffed up with her wings down and not eating the oatmeal but she could’ve just been cold because she would usually be in the coop at that time but the gate blew shut. She’s been losing feathers but I can’t find any bugs so I’m hoping she’s just going through an actual molt rather then a “lice molt”

It won’t be warming up, I’m in Alaska so the weather will just be going down from here… I might be able to keep her in the garage in a kennel? Is there a way I can see the mites? I could also check my other hens her age/older and the younger ones. All my chickens are 1.5-6 years old

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You would not see SLM on the legs, they are microscopic. I would just monitor the scales of the legs and if they become more raised, then consider applying some vaseline to the legs working it up and under the scales of the legs.

Is she acting better today since you fixed the door and she's now able to access the coop like she would normally do?

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

You would not see SLM on the legs, they are microscopic. I would just monitor the scales of the legs and if they become more raised, then consider applying some vaseline to the legs working it up and under the scales of the legs.

Is she acting better today since you fixed the door and she's now able to access the coop like she would normally do?

Okay I’ll keep an eye on them

I’m not positive I’ll go out and check later, there’s a ton of snow so going in and out is getting tricky but she is still going in and out of the coop and eating and drinking so I’ll take that as a good sign

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Her scales are the same, I think she might be molting? She had lice earlier and never got to fully have a molt. Her and her sister are roosting in the coop while everyone else is out in the cold

 

[townchicks]

If she's molting, she may just be getting ready to shed her leg scales too.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

If she's molting, she may just be getting ready to shed her leg scales too.

I didn’t know that was a thing!! I think this is her first molt, my memory isn’t too good but I don’t recall her ever molting before

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If she is molting in those temps, then she's probably a bit cold. They have a coop they can stay in that keeps them out of the wind right?
If I have one that is molting in freezing temps, I usually add some straw or deep bedding in the corners of the coop, they may choose to snuggle down in the straw for periods of time to stay warmer, just watch to make sure she's eating/drinking well.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

If she is molting in those temps, then she's probably a bit cold. They have a coop they can stay in that keeps them out of the wind right?
If I have one that is molting in freezing temps, I usually add some straw or deep bedding in the corners of the coop, they may choose to snuggle down in the straw for periods of time to stay warmer, just watch to make sure she's eating/drinking well.

Yeah she can get in and out of the coop, they have sand and pine pellets in there- I’ll add some food and water in there. I can’t let it get too humid in the coop tho