New bantams have crusty white feet?

[Aryetheral Waalburgus]

I am about to get four new Japanese Bantams from my mother's flock (one rooster, three hens). They have crusty white "growth" on their feet. My mother says that this is mites, and has been treating it with Scalex Mite and Lice spray for birds. She says that one of her other roosters actually lost some toes which she assumes happened from the "mites". She reports that the Scalex has been working, but to me, the feet still look pretty bad. And for the record, I am not all that pleased with the sanitation of her flock and coop and would not automatically assume that she is correct.

I have two full sized hens at home, both of which have never had any problems with feather mites or this crusty stuff on their feet. One of them has feathered feet. My mother reports that none of her full sized hens have ever gotten the "mites".

I'm just trying to make sure that
A) I can continue to treat the crusty stuff with the Scalex. If not, what I can treat it with.
B) My two hens are not in danger of acquiring the crusty stuff.
C) I'd like to know what the crusty stuff is.

Thank you!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Looks like scaly leg mites to me. I wouldn't bring them into my flock until it was cleared up. Lots of ways of treating it from my understanding from Vaseline to ivomec. I don't know the exact treatment because I've never dealt with it. Others will be along with better advice.

 

[Hanathehappyhen]

It does seem like they have leg mites but Im not really sure how to deal with them as Ive never had a situation with them. You could try giving them a bath or maybe dust them with diatamatious earth? I don't really know. But you should definitely quarantine them in a separate coop far away from your other hens since the mites will spread. I'm sure others can give you better advice

 

[Eggcessive]

Skip the DE. Wash the legs in warm soapy water and gently scrub the scales with an old toothbrush. Apply a thick coating of castor oil, vaseline, vegetable oil, Nustock, or coconut oil rubbing up into the scales. Repeat this at least once a week until new scales start growing in. Another method recommended by this link to immediately kill the mites is to dip the legs into gasoline, allow them to dry, and apply a thick coating of ointment, such as A and D or vaseline:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/scaly-leg-mites-in-chickens/

 

[Aryetheral Waalburgus]

Thank you! I think I'll do the gasoline method and quarantine the new bantams until it clears up BEFORE introducing the bantams to my original flock. Sound good? One follow up question: they have some scales that are raised up and almost falling off. Should I pull those scales off?

 

[Eggcessive]

I wouldn’t pull them off, but they may come off easily after the oil or ointment has softened them. Normally, I would treat conservatively with the soaks and oil, but since you need to get them treated with right away, I would use the gasoline as well, especially since it was recommended by a vet. Many oldtimers used this method as well.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I am about to get four new Japanese Bantams from my mother's flock (one rooster, three hens). They have crusty white "growth" on their feet. My mother says that this is mites, and has been treating it with Scalex Mite and Lice spray for birds. She says that one of her other roosters actually lost some toes which she assumes happened from the "mites". She reports that the Scalex has been working, but to me, the feet still look pretty bad. And for the record, I am not all that pleased with the sanitation of her flock and coop and would not automatically assume that she is correct.

I have two full sized hens at home, both of which have never had any problems with feather mites or this crusty stuff on their feet. One of them has feathered feet. My mother reports that none of her full sized hens have ever gotten the "mites".

I'm just trying to make sure that
A) I can continue to treat the crusty stuff with the Scalex. If not, what I can treat it with.
B) My two hens are not in danger of acquiring the crusty stuff.
C) I'd like to know what the crusty stuff is.

Thank you!
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I agree with @Eggcessive follow the treatment recommendations she provided for you in post #4
Scaly Leg Mites need to be smothered.

The Scalex Mite and Lice spray you are using will help kill poultry lice and mites on the body, but it will not take care of the Scaly Leg Mites - these live under the scales of the legs, so smothering them with oils is the best way to do this.

If the hens have been housed with the birds, it won't hurt to slather some vaseline or oil on their legs too. There's nothing that says you can't perform preventative maintenance on your birds

 

[FishMtFarm]

I had gotten some bantams with awful leg mites. Some had toes missing and the feet had growths and it was awful. I soaked their feet and legs in epsom salt water for 20 minutes. Won’t you know those growths were dead skin and scale build up and peeled off like a scab. I peeled most of it off until the birds decided it was too much and then slathered coconut oil with lavender in it. Did that for a week and the mites are gone and the feet are healing beautifully. I would never do gasoline myself cause under the scales there are small wounds and that would burn and sting. Like squeezing lemon juice in a paper cut.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I do one treatment of Swat for horses. Slather their legs and feet in it. It works every time. I get chickens from a friend of mine occasionally and they always have terrible leg mites.

 

[Aryetheral Waalburgus]

I had gotten some bantams with awful leg mites. Some had toes missing and the feet had growths and it was awful. I soaked their feet and legs in epsom salt water for 20 minutes. Won’t you know those growths were dead skin and scale build up and peeled off like a scab. I peeled most of it off until the birds decided it was too much and then slathered coconut oil with lavender in it. Did that for a week and the mites are gone and the feet are healing beautifully. I would never do gasoline myself cause under the scales there are small wounds and that would burn and sting. Like squeezing lemon juice in a paper cut.

I have also heard that vinegar would kill the mites instead of gaseoline. Do you think this would also sting or at least sting less? The only reason I'm inclined to do something like gas or vinegar is that I want to introduce the new bantams to the old flock as soon as possible.