Leg mites??? Need help diagnosing....PICS

[whitewolfvt]

Hi! Never had this problem before and it looks like the others Charlie is with(2 Salmon Favs roos and a Salmon Favs hen) are not showing any symptoms of this. I haven't checked the other 5, in 2 separate cages, but the 2 Barred Rocks seem to look okay, though I thought the Roo, Spice, legs were looking a bit on the red side. The good news, I guess is that it is time to clean their coop. However, it had been very cold here in Vermont and with no water out there, it will be hard to wash down anything. I am pretty sure that scaly leg mites is what I am dealing with, but wanted to know for sure and what to do. I like to stay natural as possible. Thanks for your help!

Yvette

 

[ivan3]

Thanks for posting shots. Looks likely. As my definition of natural is rather catholic I'll link to a thread with many good treatment suggestions.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=33903

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

use pour on Ivermectin,
and mix some sevin dust in with vaseline and rub into the legs . Should clear them up fairly quick

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I just cured some Seramas I inherited that were in bad shape. I put a single drop of ivermectin on each leg once a week for 3 weeks. They cleared up just fine.

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

bump

 

[whitewolfvt]

Thank you all for your quick responses! Now....I had seen it mentioned to clean the coop (or in my case cages...until the hubby gets the coop finished!) and sprinkle Sevin or some other powder then put shavings down. Is that okay to do with chickens? I would be afraid they would scratch and peck and end up ingesting the stuff. I'm paranoid lately since we just lost a very beloved and only WCB Polish bantam hen a few days ago. Of course hubby is not too happy that we had paid $55 for the vet and then she died. She was a great bird, and I still feel guilty....but I digress and will post that story somewhere else. I will try your suggestions for the leg mite situation. Thank you again!

PS any ideas of WHAT Charlie is? You should see his brother! Looks nothing like him! I say Cochin mix ?

 

[tnchickenut]

yup, clean the coop... don't forget the perches! and put Camphoclynic (spelling?) on their legs... this drowns the mites. You can get it at a drugstore... you may need to ask. Make sure you get the liquid, not the chap-sticklike stuff. For bad cases you may have to put in on more than once. I have used it and it worked well with one application.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
I feel the same way about sevin... never tried it. they say it is fine with chickens, but I prefer Diotamacious Earth. (ppl call it "DE") It is all natural organic and safe. You can get it about anywhere, but if you aren't using it as a wormer (in their food) then you can get a bag at the co-op/tractor supply/lawn and garden shop. Gardeners use it for bugs, just like Sevin only natural & organic.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

SEVIN is perfectly fine. I have used it for over 30 years on everything from gardens (for me to eat out of), to flea dusting dogs, poultry dusting, etc.
Take it and spread it all over the pen, burn all the old bedding, and coat the heck out of it, coop, perches,dirt, rubb it into the birds feathers, if they have a favorite dusting hole, put it in there as well and they'll dust themselves.
It is a chemical insecticide, but very mild, will not harm anything but bugs! Just ask any farmer....