I'd scrub the feet/legs with warm soapy water using a toothbrush to get into all the spots. Then add Vaseline to totally smother the areas. Repeat once a week or so til all are gone. Keep them separate from your existing flock til they are all better.
I would reconsider the use of petroleum on the legs. Anything you apply to the skin or legs will ultimately end up on the surface of the porous egg shells and in turn in your food chain. It will also more than likely end up in the organs of the birds.
So sorry Annie, rip Molly .Very sadly, I lost Molly Rhode Island Red a couple of weeks ago ( by Vet euthanasia ). I didn't know she was having a battle ( and I don't think she was overall, as she was sprightly, full of vigour and strength, and interested in everything ) .... but at well past 5 years of age ( as the other two remaining are ) ... anything can be expected. It was Molly I suspected had laid / passed ( from oviduct or bowel ??? ) two strange looking "lash" (?) things. Nothing was in them, except in one - a tiny centred pink smudge, upon opening them up ... and that was months ago. 4 days before she was euthanased, she was hale and hearty, dust bathing, sun bathing, eating ( but not a lot ) and enjoying grass.
Then on -3 morning Neil found her up on a ladder which none of them have ever used. He got her down, but she seemed to have become blind - almost over night. From then on it was downhill fast. She faltered in walking, finally unable to walk much at all. She seemed unaware of her surroundings, and if she did manage to walk ( on grass - she managed that carefully ) ... she would walk into bushes and the fence, and decide 'ooops - that's wrong'. I think she could see perhaps out of one eye, but it was sad, so I did the only thing I could, and had her put to sleep. There was no quality of life left for her, as she could not find her food or water, and she would have starved to death. She ate only a little of what I hand offered her.
I was worried about Mandy who still flaps across the ground, falling over her huge inturned feet, but is still in good fettle. I thought she would fret. So I devised a towel stuffed perfect ( RIR ) coloured blouse I had, and scrunched that up, to look like a hen in a corner. ( nothing wrong with me !! ) .... and when I found Mandy sitting on it one morning, I figured she might be over it all. And I believe she is.
Since then however, I have made a rod for my own back. Both Mindy Araucana and Mandy Welsummer are moulting ( which means they are eating less ), so I have taken to hand feeding Mandy. She sits and waits each day for my goodies in a bowl - which includes finely ground layer pellets ( for vitamins etc. ) mixed in with rice and other good protein stuff as the mood takes me. She loves to be hand fed, and enjoys my poking around in the bowl ( it stimulates her to eat faster) ... I think she is trying to beat me to the punch for tucker. However, as they are both very 'aged' I don't expect much of them in the future. Certainly not too many eggs, for sure.
It is strange that they are moulting so early ( January 2nd Mindy began ) so I am hoping it is a sign that an early Autumn is on its way. Sure hope so. Been sticky heat and nasty here in Victoria. ......... Queensland has moved south.
Hope Queenslanders are getting some well deserved rain at this time. The weather is weird all over, isn't it.
Cheers to all ~~~
I wouldn't worry too much about the moulting , mine are all going into a full moult . I had a job convincing my girlfriend that the dogs hadn't killed someone when she saw the mass of feathers in the yards.
I'm curious as to where you found this advice . Petroleum jelly is commonly used , but never heard of petrol.
Hello everyone - I joined the page in the USA yesterday, and then was given the link to the Aussie thread. I am in the Wide Bay region of QLD, about 360km north of Brisbane. I just got my first 3 pullets this week - Orpingtons. 2@ 6months, 1@ 4.5 months. Loving themWelcome Fellow Aussies... With this land being such a huge place- a few of us decided it was big enough for two threads on here... so here we go on number two- a thread started with a slower pace in mind than the original Australian thread. Please feel welcome to post but keep in mind that too much general chat does sometimes discourage some people from adding to the thread.
Grab a cuppa and sit for a read through some more local flavour chooky tales, and share your own stories.
Welcome aboardand
if you are new to the site - come introduce yourself.
Hello everyone - I joined the page in the USA yesterday, and then was given the link to the Aussie thread. I am in the Wide Bay region of QLD, about 360km north of Brisbane. I just got my first 3 pullets this week - Orpingtons. 2@ 6months, 1@ 4.5 months. Loving them
