FUNGAL FEET.....what is it?

[DementedHam]

A miniature hen of mine has begun to "lose" her scales from her feet and they seem to be getting slightly bigger. i have seen some chickens before with white, deformed-like feet due to what looks like some fungus growing on them. At first I thought she was just molting scales like chickens molt feathers, but her feet keep looking more like the fungal-footed-chickens I have seen before. What is this called? Is it contagious or genetic/hereditary? Can I use or buy anything to make her feet normal again?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Minx]

Quote:
Could be Bumblefoot

http://urbanchickens.org/blog/bumblefoot

or Scaly leg mite

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=33903

 

[Chickenaddict]

could be scaly leg mites. Try giving her a foot soak and gently scrubbing the scales with a soft brissle tooth brush then coat her legs with vasoline, repeat the vasoline at least everyday until you start seeing them go back to normal

 

[spook]

I too would place vasoline on her feet after a soak, dunno about how many people it takes to hold a chicken down for a tooth brush scrubbing on their feet...I'd have to hire someone around here! ha ha ha...sorry(just teasing).
If it is fungal, I wonder if a cap full of bleach in a gallon of water that you soak her feet in would help out. May not be "that type" of fungus, just don't let her drink the water!!!! and coat with the vasoline to rid legs if it is mites.

Good luck!!

 

[mypicklebird]

Search for photos of scaly leg mite in poultry or chickens. Also look up Knemidocoptes - that is the actual bug name, for photos. Chickens get fungal infections, but not usually a foot problem. Your description sounds like advanced scaly leg mite- you can also post a photo of your bird to this thread, that would be helpful.
There are a zillion ways to smother the mites, search the forum. There are also systemic drugs that will do it as well, but these have their own drawbacks. What ever you choose, you need to treat the entire flock. It is a flock problem, not a single bird- but there will always be the one that looks the worst or has it the worst.

 

[DementedHam]

DementedHam here, with an update two years in the making.

So my miniature hen has been long "cured" of what turned out to be scaly leg mites. It took a little over a month to cure her and to ensure that the rest of my flock had not gotten the mites. I'm not sure if I caught it too late though because her scales on her legs never grew back.

Do the leg scales ever grow back or will she look abnormal forever? She's doing fine but I've been wondering this for quite some time. Thanks to the people who helped me with my chickens' health.