Mites, Lice and Scaly Leg..... How to treat and GET RID OF IT!!!

[Peachesbabychick]

Well, I feel like a terrible chicken owner. I just started having chickens last year, and I wasn't aware of these awful things, until now. I did inspect my girls, just not around the vent so I didn't see any parasites (stupid huh) until now. I rushed to the feed store and bought a big bag of DE, a bottle of 10% permethrin, and a permethrin poultry dust.

So my question is.... what is the most effective way to get rid of these little varmits? Please walk me through step be step. I need to know what to do in my coop, in my run and on my girls. They also free-range during the day. PLEASE help!

This is what I was planning to do (correct me if I'm wrong or could be doing this in a better way)

Step 1: clean coop down to bare wood (clean out shavings, nest box hay etc. scrub poop box with bleach water)

Step 2: Powder roost, nest boxes, poop box, and floor with permethrin dust and DE

Step 3: Bathe my girls, 1st tub= baby shampoo wash 2nd tub= rinse 3rd tub= permethrin dip

Step 4: Towel dry and powder with permethrin dust using trash bag method


Thanks in advance!
-Peaches

 

[teach1rusl]

That will most likely take care of everything but the scaly leg mites. For those you will want to keep their legs/feet coated in vaseline or some other thick, oily material for several days. Have you actually seen evidence of scal. leg mites??? Their scales look really loose/patchy and their feet begin to look deformed if left untreated.

I've never had luck with powders myself - always ended up with more on me than the birds. Other things you could use if the powders don't work for you: Adams flea/tick spray, Frontline plus, Ivomec paste. All are easy to administer and all work well for mites/lice.

 

[Peachesbabychick]

Ok thankyou! I forgot to add that I am planning on doing the vaseline 2.

I haven't really seen any obvious signs that my girls have scaly leg.... just a few of their leg scales look like their lifting up slightly. So I figured I would nip it in the bud.

For the dust I will be using the trash bag method. It ensures that all of the medicated powder gets on the birds, not you. You place the bird in the bag (which has the powder in it) head sticking out, then you ruffle the bag up so the birds body gets covered with the dust.

-Peaches