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

[Tala]

Quote:
I agree. The stuff burns on your skin. It feels siimilar to gasoline to me. In fact it's really similar chemically.
Not good stuff, when Vaseline or veggie oil would work just as well without all the nastiness.

 

[hens & chicks]

In an older chicken book I have it is suggested to use turpentine and linseed oil. The ratio is 1/3 oil and 2/3 turpentine. It states to not scrub their legs. It says that the mites can be really painful and as the scale of the leg raises up it increases the pain. Put the mixture in a small jar-like a small mayonaise or a small half pint canning jar and dip the legs in it. Paint the mixture on the roosts. Repeat in 1 week intervals for one month. Coat the feet and legs then in vasoline. So far it has worked for me and is a rather simple application.

 

[PrinceSandwich]

I had a silkie x roo that had scaly leg mites, and I used vasaline, but that didn't work that well, so I gave him some pour on ivermectin and that cleared it up great! IMO I think its better just to hit the problem HARD instead of fiddling around with home remedies. But thats just my opinion. I can't think of the dosages but you can probly find that somewhere on the web

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Back when I had my pheasants, my female pheasant got scaly leg mites. I dipped her legs in vegetable oil once a day, and voila! About a week later, her fairly severe outbreak of it was all gone and her legs healed fully. If the scaly leg mites aren't too severe, I think the vegetable oil is worth a try--if it's not causing results within a week, one can always switch to medication or something harder hitting. I'm telling you, it worked, though! Hers got bad very unexpectedly and suddenly and I was worried I was going to have to put her down because she could barely walk. Instead her legs went completely back to normal with the use of the vegetable oil.

The downside is that it is rather messy dunking them in the oil all the time and it gets on their feathers.

 

[FisherMOM]

thanks SilverPheonix...I will try that. My friends keep telling me to "dunk my chicken in oil" all the time.
lol. this will make a few people laugh!

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Oh MY Gosh ! I am learning !
I was wondering do you think mites can still multiply in winter in a colder but insulated coop? Should I check the roosts ...replace them ...there 2 by fours ....
Would it hurt to put Vaseline or Tea tree oil on the girls legs at night even on a cold night ...?

Nifty I had to laugh when you gave your list about things you did so far....cleaning the coop totally out ....I am in the same boat ....3 years ....but its to cold and snowy now to do that ...Good for you ...

 

[PeepsInc]

cooking oil works fine. Just soak each leg. I don't know if I'd oil the perch tho? If you do bring the video camera.

 

[ultasol]

I thought I had posted on this thread, but I guess I didn't. My two cents are this:

I have treated scaly legs due to mites on silkies with injectable 1% ivermectin by putting three drops on the naked patch underneath each wing. It also takes care of worms and other mites. Don't overuse, but it is effective and allows you to avoid daily handling while they are in a new environment. Additionally, all the additional chicken care time (to apply oils and lotions) can be used to clean your coop of the pests and redesign perches for mite minimization (I was told to use metal brackets for perches that don't touch wood as mites can't cross metal).

Good luck!

 

[Mahonri]

I sprayed the legs of all of mine LIBERALLY with Pam.

Seemed to do the trick.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I didn't say it would make you sick --- I just said it burns and that it feels like it gasoline on your skin. It IS very drying to your skin, maybe not so much to chicken legs, but WHY if cooking oil or baby oil would cure them just as effectively??

FYI they put out a new MSDS last March, it's on their website

Just what exactly do you think an "Aliphatic Hydrocarbon" is anyway??