Hen with dry skin and extra skin growths on feet

[MiniChickenMommy]

Hello, I have a hen about 2 years old who I got about 8 months or so ago. She suffers from dry flaky skin, and her feet are a mess I just dont know if what I'm doing is right cos it doesnt seem to be helping very much. I vaseline and DE powder them, also dip in surgical spirit but they just dont seem to be improving that much. In fact, they were looking slightly better but then she was broody and sitting on her nest for 26 days until I moved her off (no eggs hatched), and now they're looking worse again. They keep getting large skin growths on them, which I then soak until soft and pick off. Should I be picking these off?? They arent supposed to be there so it was just the logical thing for me to do.. She keeps getting these large skin growths on the sides of the small toes and at the ends of her toes around the nail.
Can anyone recommend anything (that I wont have to go to a vet for and is readily available) that I can use to help my poor girl? Thanks for reading.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Pictures?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Pictures?

 

[CluckerFamily]

Pictures would help us to see what you are seen.

 

[MiniChickenMommy]

Her feet are in such a bad way, ever since I got her in Octoberber last year ago when she could barely walk and her feet was covered in these thick skin growths. I got them all off and down to the skin, trimmed her nails which were very long and started with the vaseline treatment. Then during the winter period when it was very wet didnt help, and although I got her legs and most of her feet smoothish by March and stopped all treatment. By June her feet were starting to look bad again,and then she sat pretty much all of July and now we are looking very bad again.
I have no clue what this is or how to properly treat it. Does anyone know? Also, should I be doing vaseline and DE powder consistently even when they do look good?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Looks like Scaly Leg Mites. I would treat with Ivermectin (dosing is below).
Treat the coop/housing, roosting bars and nesting boxes with a Permethrin based poultry spray.

While SLM mainly live under the scales of the legs, they can migrate or live in housing as well. If you've only been treating the legs and not housing, then re-infestation is inevitable. The Ivermectin is systemic, so it will "reach" the SLM that have burrowed under the skin and scale (where permethrin cannot treat/reach) and the Permethrin will take care of those that are hanging about in the housing.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mites-lice-now-hen-growling.1242981/page-2#post-19965544

You may want to try NuStock on the legs to help them heal, vaseline is fine too if that's what you have.

 

[MiniChickenMommy]

Thank you for your advice!!

I thought it might have been Scaly Leg Mites from tbh from the research I've done in the past but I never saw any pictures that closely matches Pearl's feet. Is this quite a severe case of SLM then??

I regularly cover the cage in DE powder at every clean out (about once a week, they dont spend much time in their cage and its 2 tier) and also sprinkle on the new bedding.

I think I have some ivermectin from a trip I had to the vets with another ofmy chickens so I will use that.

Will I find Permethrin at a standard pet shop do you know or is it prescribed by a vet? Same with NuStock? I would like her feet to heal up again asap! I hate seeing her waddling about

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Skip the DE, its not doing anything to get rid of the mites. Permethrin powder or spray and nustock, you can get at a local feed store. I order mine from Amazon, totally your choice.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for your advice!!

I thought it might have been Scaly Leg Mites from tbh from the research I've done in the past but I never saw any pictures that closely matches Pearl's feet. Is this quite a severe case of SLM then??

I regularly cover the cage in DE powder at every clean out (about once a week, they dont spend much time in their cage and its 2 tier) and also sprinkle on the new bedding.

I think I have some ivermectin from a trip I had to the vets with another ofmy chickens so I will use that.

Will I find Permethrin at a standard pet shop do you know or is it prescribed by a vet? Same with NuStock? I would like her feet to heal up again asap! I hate seeing her waddling about

DE isn't going to be effective for an infestation.
You can find Permethrin based poultry dust and spray at stores like TSC. Ivermectin and NuStock too.