HELP! Water coming out of the beak, scaly leg mites, underweight + first time chicken owner

[CaseySA]

Hi, I am new to this site

I bought two chickens (more like rescued them) a few days ago and the one chicken has three problems which i noticed. I am totally clueless about chickens, so i am hoping to get some help here..

Problem 1: She bent down to eat, and water came out of her beak. I googled this and it seems serious? Is she going to die? However, it only happened once (that i have seen) and she is eating and drinking normally... Is there any chance that she maybe just drank too much water? Just before this happened she finished an entire bowl of water. (I think she was dehydrated - she was quite neglected in her previous home)

Problem 2: She has horrific scaly, thick legs.

Problem 3: When I pick her up she feels very thin to me, how do you tell if your chicken is underweight?

I have read many of the post and looked at many photos of chickens with scaly leg mite.. and to be honest, my chicken looks worse than 90% of the photos i see online

After reading a lot about it, it seems ivermectin is one of my options. I have ivermectin dewormer for horses, can this be given to my chickens? Or is it some other kind of ivermectin?

Please take a look at the pics and give me some advice.

Also, the feed i bought consists of cracked corn and sunflower seeds. Is this sufficient for the chickens or should I be feeding something else as well? At their previous home they did not get fed anything, they lived off any feed that the horses dropped.

Please excuse the room in the background. I am busy converting it into a chicken coop. It was previously just a storage room. At night they will sleep in there and during the day they run freely around the garden.

Thanks in advance

 

[Ravynscroft]

First, I am glad you rescued them and are looking for help!

Problem 1 sounds like she drank too much water too fast and leaned down... can happen to any chicken on a hot day, so don't worry there...

Problem 2 scaley leg mite treatment I believe is usually coating the legs and feet with petroleum jelly every day for several days, but never seen it that bad before... not sure if that will work by itself...
I *think* you can give them that wormer, but it'll only work for worms and I don't know dosage...

Problem 3 I usually go by what feels right for mine, but I've had them for a while... hoping someone else can give more tips there...

And the foood you have for them is a type of scratch, only good in small amounts once in a while, like a treat... I suggest Layena if they're laying or Flock Raiser if they're not... both are made by Purina and should be found at most feed stores or co-ops...

@casportpony Kathy, please do you know anything else to help?

 

[pippo]

I read a post earlier today on treatment for leg mites, I don't know how to post the link but if you search, it was in emergencies and diseases and called "scaly leg mites (pictures)".
hope it helps.

 

[CaseySA]

I am so glad that the water coming out of the beak could just be that she drank too much water

Thanks, I have read quite a lot of posts on here regarding scaly leg mites, and I came to the conclusion that I should use ivermectin and also do the vaseline thing (which i plan to start tonight). I was just not sure if there is a specific ivermectin or if i could use the one for horses.

Also, I am interested if anyone has seen a case this bad and if the leg ever returned to normal.

Thanks for the advice on feed - I am in South Africa so I am not sure if we get those brands here, but I will visit a co-op and check, I got the cracked corn and sunflower seeds from a supermarket I thought it was normal chicken feed

 

[Ravynscroft]

Ah, sorry! I posted before checking where you were located at! :/ No, you probably don't have those there... I don't know what would be similar though... maybe ask when you get to the co-op?

 

[Kiwichins]

Hi well done taking them on
ivermectin topical kind for horses should be ok just a drop or 2 on back of neck or under wings just make sure on skin, I have heard of the Vaseline thing too could mix diatomaceous earth into it to make a paste or use pestene powder anything for mites added in to the Vaseline to help it work better since so bad. Goodluck

 

[CaseySA]

Update: more water came out of her beak a few minutes ago and this time she did not drink water

 

[CaseySA]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I am so worried about her

 

[shahtir101]

How is your chicken now?