Cuckoo silkie - is this normal?

[PouleChick]

I've been meaning to ask this for ages and remembered to get some pics yesterday. I bought my Silkie about 6 or 8 weeks ago - it was pretty difficult to do much thorough checking when i bought her as it was a mud bath (we'd had about 3 months solid rain at that point) and I had a 3 year old running around. Both Doris and the other silkie I got were pretty scared when I got them and while they perked up after some vitamins they stayed very scared of me / being held etc. Doris has got a bit better with me and I having been picking her up regularly to get her used to me. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that her feet are pretty horrid looking but I don't know what is normal and what is not! It seems like she may have actually lost a couple of toes - could that be from having had scaly mites (is it possible she still has them or is this how the skin usually looks?).

And her area around her eyes / her comb etc is it all normal? I havne't been able to find any pics of close up cuckoo silkie on the net to compare!

Sorry here is the questions I need to answer from the sticky thread:
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Silkie - cuckoo (white skin), age unknown - between 1 and 2 years the previous owner told me. Weight - unknown never weighed her.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Rough skin on feet legs, missing toes (past trauma), possible irritation around her eyes? Thought this may be from being such a fluff ball head!
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
N/A
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Missing toes.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
Muddy previous house?? Scaly mites?? This is what I'm wondering! What could have caused the missing toes??? Has she got some horrible disease I don't know about?
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Normal
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Normal
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
None - seemed a bit lethargic when I got her so gave vitamins and perked up.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
N/A
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Done
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
A 2 story coop (bottom area all wire as it is so clement much of the year) with shavings for sleeping only and day time they are in a grassed coop or free-ranging / gardening with me in the garden! She sleeps on a low roost that is about 8cm with rounded off edges.

Ideas or thoughts very welcome - thanks!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Yes, she needs to to treated for leg mites, all the way up her legs and under those foot feathers. She could also do with a good nail trim.
I can't see her eye well enough.

 

[PouleChick]

Eek so you think she actually has them now? I had no idea and now I've put her in the same coop as my other 3 not realising there was anything wrong

 

[Wishing4Wings]

I think so. Healthy scales on feet and legs are smooth and flat. If you start treating her right away, the chance of them spreading should be low. Some chickens seem more susceptible to them.
Mites are always one of those things to check for in new birds, but they are treatable if you are consistent. It can take awhile.

I love the cuckoo color. Never have seen a cuckoo silkie.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Sally has created a massive, but very thorough thread for treating just about anything. Scaly leg mites are in there somewhere. She always has good info.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...seases-treatments-medicine-suggestions.73286/

This is another excellent resource by TwoCrows. She knows her stuff. This one is limited to foot problems, so maybe a little less scrolling.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-in-poultry-of-all-ages.68093/#comment-412253

Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[PouleChick]

I love the cuckoo color. Never have seen a cuckoo silkie.

Thanks she is pretty cute!

I think so. Healthy scales on feet and legs are smooth and flat.

It is funny as I was worried it was that when I first saw them but I don't think the sccales are raised - she just looks a bit crusty and I've just looked at a nail trimming post on a blog using a silkie and that chooks legs look similar. I just don't know as I'm such a newbie they generally look very different to my 'normal' chickens legs / feet and I cna't check Hermione (the Isabel) to compare as she is broody and sitting on eggs. I'm only just getting her not terrified of me so I want to be sure it isn't just how silkies legs are / past damage (as she must have had them at some point as she has lost the toes) before I start terrorising her more!

It is very difficult to find a picture of a cuckoo silkies (who don't have the black gene) legs to see what 'normal' is - if anyone has one please can you show me a picture?

 

[rebrascora]

It looks like scaly leg mites to me too. They are extremely common but much less obvious on feather legged birds, so it is easy to overlook them. Greasing them up is the least invasive way of fixing it but they will get messy because all the dust and dirt will stick to them being feathered and it is not easy to get the grease/oil in between all the feathers to get a good coverage. A couple of drops of Ivermectin pour on, on the skin at the back of the neck should also do the job, I believe.