Are These Scaly Leg Mites?
- Thread starter GodLovesU
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- scaly leg mites
OLDRanch
Chirping
- Jul 6, 2025
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Definitely leg mites. They aren't bad......yet. I haven't had to use drugs on my two brahmas I just buy one of those big, cheap one-gallon jugs of vegetable oil, put it in one of those dollar tree white buckets and dip their legs in that once to twice a day and they clear up. Sadly, once they get leg mites they come back (this is what it's like for me) 
But just keep on eye on it and it shouldn't get bad again.
If your into more natural options;
I would give them minced garlic cloves (you could feed it too them plain or mix it with their feed)
and apple cider vinegar in their water MAKE SURE YOU GIVE PLAIN WATER ALSO in a separate dish (the ratio is one tablespoon vinegar per one gallon of water).
I really hope this helps I know you said this is your dad's friends chicken (that's quite a mouthful
) so it may be hard to give them supplements.
Good luck
But just keep on eye on it and it shouldn't get bad again.If your into more natural options;
I would give them minced garlic cloves (you could feed it too them plain or mix it with their feed)
and apple cider vinegar in their water MAKE SURE YOU GIVE PLAIN WATER ALSO in a separate dish (the ratio is one tablespoon vinegar per one gallon of water).
I really hope this helps I know you said this is your dad's friends chicken (that's quite a mouthful
) so it may be hard to give them supplements.Good luck
Years ago a routine that cured the mites on one of our chickens was twice a day doing a 15 minute soak in warm water with dish soap, then dry the legs and slather them with vaseline.
You'll want to treat the chicken but also treat any roosting bars or other places where she's been. They can also spread to any hens they've roosted near, so you'll want to keep an eye on anyone who has been sleeping next to her.
The raised scales are a strong sign of mites. Though I had a rooster who had that same look but it was a slipped tendon "warping" the leg. Is the chicken limping badly or walking relatively normally?
You'll want to treat the chicken but also treat any roosting bars or other places where she's been. They can also spread to any hens they've roosted near, so you'll want to keep an eye on anyone who has been sleeping next to her.
The raised scales are a strong sign of mites. Though I had a rooster who had that same look but it was a slipped tendon "warping" the leg. Is the chicken limping badly or walking relatively normally?
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- #4
Thank you! My dad actually brought her home to keep, and she’s super chill so treatment shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. Will the mites spread to the other chickens? I already put her in with the others, as it was dark when my dad brought her home and I’m about to leave for a trip and don’t have time for a super long integration.Definitely leg mites. They aren't bad......yet. I haven't had to use drugs on my two brahmas I just buy one of those big, cheap one-gallon jugs of vegetable oil, put it in one of those dollar tree white buckets and dip their legs in that once to twice a day and they clear up. Sadly, once they get leg mites they come back (this is what it's like for me)
If your into more natural options;
I would give them minced garlic cloves (you could feed it too them plain or mix it with their feed)
and apple cider vinegar in their water MAKE SURE YOU GIVE PLAIN WATER ALSO in a separate dish (the ratio is one tablespoon vinegar per one gallon of water).
I really hope this helps I know you said this is your dad's friends chicken (that's quite a mouthful
Good luck
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- #5
Right now she’s sleeping in the nesting boxes.
She seemed to be walking fairly normally.
Neither Permethrin nor diatomaceous earth will help SLM, and the holistic methods might work to deter them, but won't kill them.
Feathered feet are more prone to them, so we have to treat them about every other year.
There are two ways we get rid of them in a flock of silkies.
Both methods entail us going out to the coop at night.
1. Slather their legs and feet with vaseline. I put a little Desitin diaper rash in there, too. Repeat this every other day for three times, then repeat this process 10 days later.
2. Ivermectin Pour on 5mg. We started using this when our flock grew and slathering vaseline on 60 feet would have become too cumbersome. You need an eye dropper. For the smaller birds, we put 2 drops on the skin of the back of their necks. For the larger ones, 3 drops. For a non bantam breed, I'd go 4 drops. Repeat this in 10 days.
SLM takes weeks and months to heal completely, as they have to regrow the scales on their feet, but both of these methods work.
And, yes, they'll spread, so treat all chickens regardless if they show signs. The neat thing is, Ivermectin use to be used as a dewormer, and some say it still is partially effective. I've never wormed my chickens, yet, maybe I have!
Feathered feet are more prone to them, so we have to treat them about every other year.
There are two ways we get rid of them in a flock of silkies.
Both methods entail us going out to the coop at night.
1. Slather their legs and feet with vaseline. I put a little Desitin diaper rash in there, too. Repeat this every other day for three times, then repeat this process 10 days later.
2. Ivermectin Pour on 5mg. We started using this when our flock grew and slathering vaseline on 60 feet would have become too cumbersome. You need an eye dropper. For the smaller birds, we put 2 drops on the skin of the back of their necks. For the larger ones, 3 drops. For a non bantam breed, I'd go 4 drops. Repeat this in 10 days.
SLM takes weeks and months to heal completely, as they have to regrow the scales on their feet, but both of these methods work.
And, yes, they'll spread, so treat all chickens regardless if they show signs. The neat thing is, Ivermectin use to be used as a dewormer, and some say it still is partially effective. I've never wormed my chickens, yet, maybe I have!
This is one of the most informative posts I've found on SLM. Yes, the mites may spread to other chickens but they may also not. I have SLM in my chickens but they do not all show signs of it, it's generally limited to certain individuals or takes years to show up on some of them.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...aly-leg-mite-treatment.1615238/#post-27589956
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...aly-leg-mite-treatment.1615238/#post-27589956
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- #8
The Vaseline smothers the mites but it does not repair the damage. It may take a long time for the legs to look better. I recommend treating ALL the chickens as you do not want to miss a single mite, which will multiply. Next time I do it I will put a drop of BluKote on the head of each treated chicken so I'll know who's been treated and who hasn't. The second time I treat, I'll mark a wing. This may not work so well on black chickens, so I'll wing-band those, I guess, and remove the band the second time.
And remember folks, the product to use is VASELINE (or, in some areas, Moroline) petroleum jelly, NOT gasoline!!!!
And remember folks, the product to use is VASELINE (or, in some areas, Moroline) petroleum jelly, NOT gasoline!!!!
It will take a long time for the legs to properly healed up, the scales have to shred and regrow, but I get what you mean when you say they look better already, it is noticable. I've been treating a couple severe cases and the legs look 100x better even though it's only been a few weeks and a couple treatments.
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