Leg Scales Different Based on Weather?

[my sunwolf]

I have never had chickens in the winter.

During the spring and summer, their legs had smooth scales, almost glossy looking.

When the cold winter weather (freezing and below) started, their scales slowly became rougher and dull. I thought that maybe they had scaly leg mites, but when I posted pictures no one else seemed to think so.

I have some winter chicks in the shed, and even their legs look dry.

I know that my skin gets dry in the winter, I just never really thought that it could happen to my chickens.


Questions:

• Has anyone else noticed that this happens??

• Do you think it's truly the seasonal changes?

 

[TehLizardKing]

Hey SunWolf....

I've noticed that too, and I wondered what it was. But it was obviously not scaly leg, and the birds didn't seem in any discomfort, So I just assumed it was to do with the winter moult. btw It happened to my Coturnix quail too.

Can anyone else help?

 

[froggiesheins]

Can you post a picture of what the legs look like now??? I live in southern California so have not experience the very cold weather....

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Mine get dry legs in the winter too. I put vaseline on their legs and it really helps. I also saw that when they get dry they crack and bleed which isn't good.

 

[my sunwolf]

Ooh yeah, pictures would help. I might have some of the hens, and I'll have to take some of the chicks in the sunlight tomorrow. I'm glad I'm not the only one whose chickens' legs get scaly in the winter

 

[my sunwolf]

Okay, some pictures.

This first one is of our hens, just after a vaseline treatment for what I thought was scaly leg:


This second one is of one of my (MALE) Easter Egger chicks with legs that are "rougher" and drier than any I've seen on a chick before--of course, I've never raised them in the winter, so that might explain it.


Any of these photos that look really troubling??

 

[willowbranchfarm]

They look ok to me.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Somtimes chickens slowly loose and grow in scales here and there. The pictures really don't look concerning. If the scales were raised with "gunk", I'd be concerned. If you look up pictures of chickens with scaly leg mites on Google, it looks much different.

 

[my sunwolf]

Thank you, very helpful!!

Though I must have some attention to detail problem, as I can't figure out the line between normal and scaly

Guess I'll have to keep practicing.

So looks like chickens, like us, get dry skin... kind of adorable.