1st Scaly Leg Experience Need Advice

[Aclurk]

We’re relatively new to chickens. Weve got 2 Orpingtons, 3 silkies, and a crippled rooster. We’ve had our little flock about a year without a problem until recently. I’ve noticed that one of the Orpingtons looked pink between the toes and this A.M. I noticed the rear of her leg (hock? if chickens have one) is reddish as well. Upon inspection I noticed the one of the Silkie’s legs in particular looked ashen and scaly, not smooth and uniform in color.

Can you please advise as to the process and duration of treatment? I don’t want to dip them in gasoline, so can anyone tell me what mix of pyrethrum to use instead? I plan on slathering them with bag balm afterward.

Cleaning the run and coop seems so daunting. I will clean out and spray down with pyrethrum also. Why did this happen? And how can I prevent this going forward? Thank you!

 

[Kiki]

Welcome.
Can you get pictures of the bottom of these feet?
What exactly do you feed your birds?

 

[Aclurk]

I feed them a layer mix from a local farm. I’ll try to photo her feet, but this one I bag blamed already so her feet are a mess with everything stuck to her. Her feet appeared fine on the bottom no bumble foot from what I could see this A.M.

The only other thing I can think of is their dust bath. I use straight fireplace ash.

 

[Kiki]

I feed them a layer mix from a local farm. I’ll try to photo her feet, but this one I bag blamed already so her feet are a mess with everything stuck to her. Her feet appeared fine on the bottom no bumble foot from what I could see this A.M.

The only other thing I can think of is their dust bath. I use straight fireplace ash.

Do you feed any treats?

that right leg looks really swollen or is that just the picture That's making it look swollen?

 

[Aclurk]

Here are one of the Silkie’s feet.

 

[Aclurk]

They usually get a cup of scratch before they go to bed, and scraps once or twice a week. They have their own compost bin and they get chicken safe food scraps.

 

[Aclurk]

None of them have swollen legs it’s just the picture. That Orpington in the picture is normally the friendliest but she’s mad at me for the olive oil foot bath and bag balm incident from this A.M.

 

[Kiki]

None of them have swollen legs it’s just the picture. That Orpington in the picture is normally the friendliest but she’s mad at me for the olive oil foot bath and bag balm incident from this A.M.

Ok great. Just continue this treatment every other day for a while...it should do the trick.

 

[Aclurk]

Thank you so much for the advice. I assume I’m correct in my assessment of mites then?

 

[Kiki]

Thank you so much for the advice. I assume I’m correct in my assessment of mites then?

I'm not sure.
Scaly leg mites are invisible to the eye... if you continue doing what you're doing and the legs start to look better then yes you were dealing with scaly leg mites.

Whatever it is the legs don't look bad.