How much should I scrub?

[PAchickenlover]

I have two chickens that have leg or scale mites. My question is, after I soak their legs how much should I scrub their legs. I used a toothbrush and got some of the loose soft scales off but I'm not sure if I should try to get more of it off or not.
Also do scale mites make the scales grow larger? My one chicken (who has fethers on her legs and feet) has scales or large "bumps" on her feet and around some of her toes. Should I work on trying to get through some of these "bumps" or enlarged scales? I'm puzzled on what to do with them. Any suggestions would be great...Thanks

 

[PAchickenlover]

bump

 

[PAchickenlover]

trying again......bump

 

[Highlander]

The mites burrow under the scale and make them raised. You need to smother with vaseline or similar to smother the mites, once a day should be fine untl you see results - at roosting time would probably be easiest for all concerned. Don't scrub too much off, it will hurt. The vaseline will help to soften things and make their legs nice and smooth again. To answer your question on your other thread, I wouldn't worry about putting paper under them, it doesn't seem to matter.

PS - it's against the rules to bump your own threads

 

[Albanydog]

We have scaly leg mites and have been treating our flock for many months. Some of the hens had them when they were given to us and the leg scaling was huge, more then doubling the size of their legs. One barred rocks legs were so freakish looking we call her BarredZilla! Once every 14 to 21 days we sneak in the coops after dark and soak every ones legs down with a Pyrethrin solution. At some point during the day before we clean the coop and also wet everything down with the pyrethrin solution. We sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth in all the nesting boxes and keep their favorite dust holes full of it too. Every ones legs are looking much better, near normal, except for BarredZilla and a small group. We thought we must have killed them all and slacked off on the treatments until I noticed s few legs getting chewed then took a look at BarredZilla and saw she had lost some progress in her healing. I am afraid we may never be completely cleared of the little critters. The chickens are much less squeamish now that we have gotten the spraying routine down and decided we did not have to pick up every chicken and turn them up and down to get good coverage, the big pressurized pump/tank to deliver the spray has helped a lot too. We use the same pyrethrin solution on the goat barns and around the pig pen, even on the animals and it really keeps the flies down. Just recently used it to spray our apple trees that were infested with caterpillars. I certainly hope this stuff is as safe as it says because we use it all the time! Been thinking at the next chicken leg spraying I might mix it with some sort of oil for smothering purposes and see if that helps get rid of them better?

 

[Animalian]

I haven't had a chicken with scaly leg, but I was given a canary with it (really bad looked like she had extra half toes). You won't need to scrub, the bird can get the 'loose bits' off itself when it grooms itself, like how when we get a hangnail or something, we pick it off. Scaly leg is so nasty because the mites lay their eggs, burrow into the skin and die there which causes the itch and flaking. I used the treatment they sell in pet shops, it has Benzyl benzoate and liquid parrafin in it. I've heard that oil or vaseline rubbed all over the foot can work too as it suffocates the mites.

I isolated the sick bird in a cage of plastic, plastic base, plastic perches, plastic feeders, all so I could clean it well with hot water everyday. To treat the bird I would pour a little solution in a plastic bag, then smear it all around the inside, then put the bag over the birds foot and massage the oil in. This made it less messy and got it over and done with quickly so less stress for the bird. I think it took about two weeks for the canary's feet to look normal again and the mites NEVER came back nor did any of my other birds catch it after she was treated.

 

[CupOJoe42]

This is what the chicken expert professor from UCONN told us to do (outdoors):

Dip the legs in gasoline for 45 seconds. Gasoline is very drying. Let them air dry. Slather them in Vaseline and repeat procedure in 2 days. For the days in-between, you can slather the legs in A&D ointment twice a day.

 

[PAchickenlover]

thanks everyone... I will try some of your suggestions...
Red and Snowy say thanks too