cause and cure for scaley leg.

[Bronya]

My Peking bantam has been brooding for three weeks on her eggs, in doors on a mix of her feathers, straw and sawdust. When I let her out this morning for a quick bite to eat, I gave her the once over and noticed scale lift on her feet, they look scabby and irritated. How has this happened? She is in the house for security and freedom from the rest of the flock (no one else has it), the bedding is all clean and has come in to no contact with any other animals. Its also a plastic mammal cage she is in, thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before use, never had chickens in before. The out side coop with the rest of the flock is cleaned weekly and dusted for mites monthly. They are pretty much free range on grass and dirt. How has this happened and how do I cure it! Help

 

[Valkyrie123]

Usually caused by leg mites but it seems you are doing most everything right. Does she perch anywhere but the coop?

A simple cure IF it is leg mites hiding somewhere is PAM cooking spray, or the cheap generic brand. Leg mites hang out on the bottom side of the perches in cracks all day and crawl up on the chickens at night and suck blood. Spray the bottoms of all perches, even branches outdoors that she hangs out on. Keep an eye on her and see where she goes. I'd spray the whole perch to make sure but the bottoms are important. Put some DE or Rotenone in the bottom of the nest box under the straw. That will kill any mites there.

In the old days to cure leg mites we mixed 50/50 linseed oil and kerosene and painted it on the perches and dipped the chickens legs in it. Probably not the most organic way to go but it worked very well. It looked like someone varnished their legs.

 

[Paxseko]

A picture would help here, but I've seen some pretty severe leg mite infestations, but haven't seen external lesions or scabs. The skin may grow out in large hunks and bleed, but this would be in severe cases (I saw some pictures of this on this very forum a few years back). Also, if you know none of your other girls have scaley leg mites, it could be irritation from the bedding or something she has been brooding on? A bit of a puzzler, honestly. I know that the heat from brooding can make a haven for scaley leg mites, but if you're sure no one else has it (look carefully!) then it probably isn't mites. Keep her isolated until you figure it out.

 

[kazzies chicken]

I have just got 4 chickens but noticed one of them has like lumps on her feet.
And like hard skin appearance. Can anyone give any advice please.
I was told that they are about 18mth old. They were given to me with coop.
Kaz

 

[BantamLover21]

I have just got 4 chickens but noticed one of them has like lumps on her feet.
And like hard skin appearance. Can anyone give any advice please.
I was told that they are about 18mth old. They were given to me with coop.
Kaz

kazzies chicken, could you possibly post a photo of your chickens' legs? That would help me and others diagnose the problem.

 

[BantamLover21]

Usually caused by leg mites but it seems you are doing most everything right. Does she perch anywhere but the coop?

A simple cure IF it is leg mites hiding somewhere is PAM cooking spray, or the cheap generic brand. Leg mites hang out on the bottom side of the perches in cracks all day and crawl up on the chickens at night and suck blood. Spray the bottoms of all perches, even branches outdoors that she hangs out on. Keep an eye on her and see where she goes. I'd spray the whole perch to make sure but the bottoms are important. Put some DE or Rotenone in the bottom of the nest box under the straw. That will kill any mites there.

In the old days to cure leg mites we mixed 50/50 linseed oil and kerosene and painted it on the perches and dipped the chickens legs in it. Probably not the most organic way to go but it worked very well. It looked like someone varnished their legs.

If you don't want to use PAM cooking spray, you could just coat the birds' legs with Vaseline. That accomplishes the same thing, though I think it might be a bit more messy.

 

[kazzies chicken]

thk u very much. i bought some johnsons poultry scaly cream today. and just put some on. also bought poultry housing spray. to use when clean coop. where can i get rotenone from? we live in uk.. she doesnt perch anywhere but the coop. i worried that perches not high enough thought bout making coop higher. so cud higher perches. what do u think?
thks again
kaz