IS THIS LEG MITES OR SOMETHING ELSE? Pic Heavy

[tjo804]

I unfortunately cannot go to the vet. I lost my job in Feb.

He is my favorite guy. I have taken in others (they have not been added to my coop and never mingle) and they are doing great. But my Lulu man is looking miserable

 

[tjo804]

Wow, sounds like you've done all that I can think of. Is it possible to take him to a Vet? Wondering if he some how has become allergic to the grass? I have no clue but let's see if we can get the more experienced opinions ....

@azygous @casportpony @dawg53 @Eggcessive @WVduckchick

It's funny that you mention allergic, cuz DH said watch he is allergic to leg feathers. .

The horse and stable is new I just used it tonight on him and then thought I better check with ppl who know more than I do. I am sure DH is wrong.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I need help figuring out what this might be. I thought scaly leg mites and have been treating him for that, he acts normally and no one else in the coop is having this problem....

I used a mix of castor oil and coconut oil... after spraying with horse and stable.... before I did anything to his legs and feet I soaked him in Epsom salt... and scrubbed his feet and legs with a soft bristle tooth brush and dawn dish soap.... No sign. Just the red blisters on legs and feet and bad looking leg scales.

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.

 

[azygous]

The blood on his leg is not from the leg mites but from the toe nail bleeding from being cut into the quick? Correct?

You've been treating the leg mites okay. The final step is to slather on a heavy grease or oil. Vaseline or castor oil are both heavy and will do a good job of smothering the mites.

You need to treat again in a week to be sure you get them all.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Is his comb always like that? Or is the lighting making it look like there are red pustules all over it?

 

[micstrachan]

@tjo804, I’m confused. When you say yoi’ve Been treating for leg mites since March, have you not used oil? You had oil all over his legs in the photos, but was that the first oil application? When you say you didn’t know there was a problem until picking him up, was that just recently or in March? It seems the general consensus is that this is leg mites, but I’m wondering why it’s continued to worsen even with teatnent. Good luck with your guy!

 

[Kiki]

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...

Is it raw right ^ here?

 

[Sinful chick]

Wow, sounds like you've done all that I can think of. Is it possible to take him to a Vet? Wondering if he some how has become allergic to the grass? I have no clue but let's see if we can get the more experienced opinions ....

@azygous @casportpony @dawg53 @Eggcessive @WVduckchick

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?

 

[Kiki]

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?

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.

 

[tjo804]

The blood on his leg is not from the leg mites but from the toe nail bleeding from being cut into the quick? Correct?
*
There is blood on his toe nail in one picture. There's no bleeding on the legs. It is specifically the red bumps on his feet and legs that is/ was concerning me.

You've been treating the leg mites okay. The final step is to slather on a heavy grease or oil. Vaseline or castor oil are both heavy and will do a good job of smothering the mites.

* I will try Vaseline. I used the castor oil/ coconut oil mixture because I read that on feather leg they may be reoccurring if oil is not gettin in really well on the sides of the leg between feathers that something that would get deep in there would be better.


You need to treat again in a week to be sure you get them all.

Will do.
Questions answered in expand in bold italics did not know how quote would show up.

Is his comb always like that? Or is the lighting making it look like there are red pustules all over it?

I think it's the light shining on him there is no puss.

@tjo804, I’m confused. When you say yoi’ve Been treating for leg mites since March, have you not used oil? You had oil all over his legs in the photos, but was that the first oil application? When you say you didn’t know there was a problem until picking him up, was that just recently or in March? It seems the general consensus is that this is leg mites, but I’m wondering why it’s continued to worsen even with teatnent. Good luck with your guy!

No this is not the first time I put oil on him. I assumed the mites were on his legs and the bag balm I had been using on him was not getting between the feathers well enough and because of that I was not killing them.. I am concerned about all the redness. I had not noticed it before and when I say would not have if not for picking him up I meant he seem healthy over all eating drinking mating and being the in charge rooster I know him to be. No flags that there is/was illness. No one else in coop has this.