Maine

[islandgirl82]

Lazy Gardener, do you still have snow where you are? With the rain the night before last and yesterday's warm weather it's gone here. My flock was bouncing and flitting all over the place yesterday. It has my cockerel in quite the...ahem... mood today. The ladies however, are having absolutely NONE of it and his success is in the negatives. He's not even attempting to seduce the two oldest girls - he seems to know better - but his advances towards the younger girls has his mother chasing him all over the place pecking respect for the ladies into him. Pretty sure I just heard her tell him (via LOTS of screeching) he's not supposed to just sneak up and take it...he's supposed to dine and dance with them first and win them over with heaping helpings of chivalry. Go mom!

 

[longgrove]

his advances towards the younger girls has his mother chasing him all over the place pecking respect for the ladies into him. Pretty sure I just heard her tell him (via LOTS of screeching) he's not supposed to just sneak up and take it...he's supposed to dine and dance with them first and win them over with heaping helpings of chivalry. Go mom!

Now that's a good broody! I would like to have one like that to school any cockerels I want to keep with such respect. I had to get rid of one I wanted to keep for his genetics because he was so rough on the hens.

Any one know of a good treatment for scale mites (on the legs). I found a couple with it recently, Made a treatment of olive oil with a small amount of oregano and citronella to rub on their legs. Don;t know if it will do the trick yet. Thinking of making a dip of something innocuous to dip the legs in for the whole flock. I have some ivermectin pour on from when I had goats. Does anyone know if it would work on mites? If so, what concentration to use for a dip?

 

[islandgirl82]

Now that's a good broody! I would like to have one like that to school any cockerels I want to keep with such respect. I had to get rid of one I wanted to keep for his genetics because he was so rough on the hens.

Any one know of a good treatment for scale mites (on the legs). I found a couple with it recently, Made a treatment of olive oil with a small amount of oregano and citronella to rub on their legs. Don;t know if it will do the trick yet. Thinking of making a dip of something innocuous to dip the legs in for the whole flock. I have some ivermectin pour on from when I had goats. Does anyone know if it would work on mites? If so, what concentration to use for a dip?

Funny thing though, he hatched in an incubator and was brooded in the house until he was about 5 weeks so she has no idea that he's her offspring. Once he was 5 weeks, during the warm sunny days (he hatched in June) I would put he and the pullet raised with him outside in portable puppy pen. That was her first exposure to him but neither she nor my top hen were ever unaccepting of the babies. As soon as the babies started sleeping in the coop with the rest of the flock, they were immediately welcomed onto the top roost with the elders...completely skipping over the ranks of the older pullets.

As for mites...I have no experience with them so I'm not sure what the fastest/most effective solution would be but I wish you luck!

 

[Cknldy]

WD40- or anything that will smother the mites. All the older chicken men around here swear it works.

 

[lazy gardener]

Island Girl, yes, I still have snow, though it's melted from some areas. If I were treating any kind of creepy crawlies, I'd treat the whole flock. Any kind of oil will smother the leg mites, but I don't know how often you need to apply it.

 

[CoopChick719]

I've used pour on ivermectin for mites before. I've only done the drops on the back of their necks. I suppose you could add some to veggie oil to make a dip. I read a good post here on BYC on treating scaly leg mites. I'll look for it.

On a different note, I've returned my EE cross with the bad moult back to the coop. She seems happier. There have been a few scuffles as she reestablishes herself in the pecking order. She's only got a small peck on her face and slept in a nesting box last night. But she was on the roost tonight when I went to close up.

Anyone use oregano oil either in their feed or water? I bought some and the dosage is 5ml per gallon of water. Very strong smelling! The girls were not impressed!

 

[lazy gardener]

If you use the pour on Ivermectin, I'd stick to using it on the back of the neck, where they can't reach it. If you even dilute the stuff and use it as a dip, I'd be concerned about them ingesting it. Even applied to the back of the neck, (If memory serves correct, it's only 4 drops/large fowl) it should work on the leg mites, b/c it's absorbed into the skin. (SCG, where are you! Her expertise should weigh in here as a final answer!)

 

[superchemicalgirl]

If you use the pour on Ivermectin, I'd stick to using it on the back of the neck, where they can't reach it. If you even dilute the stuff and use it as a dip, I'd be concerned about them ingesting it. Even applied to the back of the neck, (If memory serves correct, it's only 4 drops/large fowl) it should work on the leg mites, b/c it's absorbed into the skin. (SCG, where are you! Her expertise should weigh in here as a final answer!)

Hahaha! I'm here but didn't want to weigh in. I have almost zero data on this!

However, if it were my birds I would do the following:

1. Treat with ivermectin pour on making sure to get it on bare skin for best absorption (sites are usually back of neck, under wings) using the following doses for a guide:

• 22 lbs = 1 ml = 20 drops
• 11 lbs = 0.5 ml = 10 drops
• 5.5 lbs = 0.25 ml = 5 drops

Most of my birds fall in the 5 to 8 drop per bird category. 2-3 drops per site is what I use. Repeat in 10 days and again in 10 days. I cannot find for sure what scaly leg mites feed on, if they don't feed on the blood then ivermectin pour on won't be effective. Manna Pro has something called Poultry Protector, but looking at the ingredients and the directions for use, I personally wouldn't go for this. They also have a Scaly Leg Protector but the link on their website is bunked, so... can't tell. Considering it says "protects against" and "natural enzymes" I'm not apt to think it's going to help.

I would also not soak the birds in anything containing alcohol or kerosene. That would burn.

2. Depending on the number of birds I had if it was feasible I'd also smear vaseline or bag balm on their legs and feet every other day for the first 10-20 days. I have 50 birds and a full time job...

3. Would do a complete coop clean out, spraying a permethrin based spray into all the cracks and crevices. Repeat in 10 days. Note that the scaly leg mite spends 100% of its life cycle on the bird, but creepy crawlies make me do this step.


Keep in mind that there is limited safety data on eating meat or eggs from ivermectin treated birds. I will tell you that I do it. You must decide for yourself what is right. I looked at whether this (or something similar) was used in humans, and looked at the toxicity data and possible side effects.

 

[lazy gardener]

I think I've read that all you need is any kind of oil to smother the scaly leg mites. So, the ivermectin would probably be overkill. And, SCG, to my knowledge, the leg mites are not blood suckers, but feast on the tissue. So just oil, and for speed of treatment, what about using a rag soaked with oil... I expect you'd be wearing it all over your clothing by the time you were done... or some container that you could dip their legs in... with the assistance of a helper. Again, wear old clothing, or a haz mat suit... or rain gear!

 

[buckabucka]

Oh, I so hope I never get those mites! I agree that the oil applied to the legs sounds like the best treatment, but that would be a daunting task here. Too many birds and all are petrified of being picked up. I'd have to go out at night...

The hens are noticing the longer days. After 1 - 4 daily eggs all December, yesterday we had 9!