IS THIS LEG MITES OR SOMETHING ELSE? Pic Heavy

[Soon2BChixMom]

There are different kind of mites. Scaly leg mites will raise the scales on the legs.

Other mites will suck the blood right out of the bird, usually at night. You can look for them on the bird at night with a flask light.

Flask light. ... funny autocorrect. I usually don't point these out, but this made me giggle.

 

[Kiki]

Flask light. ... funny autocorrect. I usually don't point these out, but this made me giggle.

I mess up a lot when on my silly autocorrecting phone. I swear it must be the dumbest phone on Earth. I have no clue how it comes up with some of these things.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

I mess up a lot when on my silly autocorrecting phone. I swear it must be the dumbest phone on Earth. I have no clue how it comes up with some of these things.

Same here. I have to reread everything before I post and then I still miss some.

 

[Kiki]

Same here. I have to reread everything before I post and then I still miss some.

. I can't figure out how to turn the feature off on my phone. It drives me nuts.

 

[tjo804]

It is impossible to see scaly leg or scaly feet mites with your naked eye. Because these pests live their entire life cycle beneath the skin or scales of a chickens' feet cleaning the coop, dusting, spraying, removing bedding, or any other feel good activity will do nothing to help your chickens. BTW, the red blotches look like naturally occurring color patterns that are on many chicken's feet.

Scaly leg or scaly feet mites bore into the flesh of the your chickens feet and spend their whole life embedded inside of your chicken. This includes when the scaly foot mites defecate. This is what gives scaly leg mite infections that black looking raised scale appearance, you are seeing mite feces oozing out of your birds feet. . I am unsure if coconut oil, caster oil, etc is a good treatment for this pest. After using petroleum jelly or Vaseline for 50 years I have never found anything that works better. As good perhaps but nothing better.

Feather footed varieties, breeds, or strains of chickens IMHO are more prone to suffering permanent damage from scaly foot mites. These chickens were first developed for the show ring and I don't think that they have any business running around outside or free ranging. Besides most BYC people are not (again in MHO) serious enough about their poultry to keep feather footed breeds. ALL, as in everyone of your chickens should be treated once each year for foot mites whether you see any signs or not. The same schedule (or more often) should also be followed for the treatment of any other types of mites.

The use of Dawn Dishwashing Detergent is exactly counter to the good health of all chickens and birds. This is especially true when dealing with foot mites. Well I guess that if a Panamax oil tanker ran aground and broke apart on your chicken coop that you maybe, possibly, perhaps, could use Dawn to clean the heavy OIL off of your birds feathers. Let us remember that ALL chickens have a special oil gland on the base of their tail called the "POPE'S NOSE" and that the sole purpose of the POPE'S NOSE is to supply the oil that your chickens apply to their feathers to dress their plumage and to lock the barbs together to create a barrier to wind, weather, water and some degree to pests.
View attachment 1471135

I did not say I saw scaley leg mites. I did assume if he had them they came from somewhere and could be transferred some how. I was not trying to "feel good" by cleaning out the coop I was trying to prevent a spread.

If the red bumps are naturally occurring coloring that is helpful advice. But hard to get at between what I felt was hurtful wording.

The second paragraph was informative and would make a great article to help others as well.

I washed his legs only with dawn dish soap to clean and break up any mite feces that would be there if that is what is wrong with his legs. I was working on the assumption that it was in fact leg mites since they cannot be seen with the human naked eye and other than the red bumpy irritated look he has no signs of other illness or pests.

I understand the oil gland and how long it would take him to oil and put his feathers back. I used a hair dryer on low to lift feathers gently so I could see his skin without damaging or tugging on his feathers.

I did not know feathered legs was a genetic / science experiment.

I think / hope I have addressed some of your concerns at least.
Does it look to you like a healthy normal leg?

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

. I can't figure out how to turn the feature off on my phone. It drives me nuts.

I turned it off once, it was worse.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How old is he?
Since he does have raised scales (some can be from the feathers/some from SLM) I would still treat him with the oil once a week.

The redness is probably due to hormones, with feathered feet the scales don't lay quite as flat and so you don't get a smooth uniform pattern like you do with non-feather footed chickens. Roosters especially can have red streaks from hormones.

Below is what hormones look like

Photo Reference

Example of a HEN with red streaks.

 

[tjo804]

I don't see signs of scaly leg mites in you pictures.
This red does not look normal but I'm unsure if I'm seeing oil over the redness or if the red area is sore/raw...View attachment 1471246
Is it raw right ^ here?

Hi! Sorry to chime in, but I’m relatively new to the wonderful world of chickens! How does one know they have mites or any other problem other than it being obvious by observing behavior or something physical like blood or something?

I thought it looked irritated but without oil it looks a lot like the pic @Wyorp Rock posted.

How old is he?
Since he does have raised scales (some can be from the feathers/some from SLM) I would still treat him with the oil once a week.

The redness is probably due to hormones, with feathered feet the scales don't lay quite as flat and so you don't get a smooth uniform pattern like you do with non-feather footed chickens. Roosters especially can have red streaks from hormones.

Below is what hormones look like

Photo Reference

Example of a HEN with red streaks.

He is 4 years old. That looks a lot like what it looks like without oil, only some look bumpy and kind of swollen ( for lack of word that doesn't sound infectious).

@Wyorp Rock THANK YOU FOR THIS INFO I AM GOOGLING NOW.

 

[tjo804]

Ok, try googling chicken hormones

I really hope that is all it is.

 

[tjo804]

I want to thank you all for your help.

I will pick up Vaseline and do his legs daily for 2 weeks as it can't hurt to rub him down. If they still look the same I will call it hormonal.
This is part of a conversation in another thread.


"could it be he turned red leg for mating season and it was more apparent this year because this past fall the dominant rooster in my coop died. Until then Lulu was submissive and stayed mostly in the background. It took him a while to convince the hens they could trust him to be in charge. Some still don't. But this is his first year of no fear mating."