question about abnormal scales

[Lynn57]

I got three ISA hens that are just over a year old a while ago and noticed that the scales on their legs are sticking out and look kinda deformed. I'm not sure but I feel that it maybe some sort of parasite that is causing this. I slathered vaseline on their legs last night and today some of the scales have fallen off? Is this the right thing to do?
please advise

thank you so much in advance

 

[miss_thenorth]

Look up scaly leg mites--that's probably your problem.

 

[Lady_Cluck]

Definitely scaly leg mites -- small mites that bury under each scale and cause irritation of the skin.

And yes, vaseline is a good thing to do. You can also use vegetable oil. It will smother the mites. Keep repeating the treatment until you see a positive change in the legs and feet. Eventually the old scales will fall off and new ones will grow back in.

It's also a good idea to clean out the roosts, nest boxes, and bedding while you are treating. The mites like to hide in the cracks and crevices!

Hope that helps!

 

[kathyinmo]

This information is copied from another thread:

Scaley leg, which is caused by mites living under the scales, causing inflammation and crustiness.

You should check her carefully for mites - at night after they're on their roosts. The mites are just nearly microscopic dots that move fast on the birds - particularly near their vents, under the wings, back of the necks, etc. You should also put your hands on the wood near the bedding at the bottom of walls, on roosts, at night and see if you can't catch them on the wood or on any of your other birds.

Have you wormed her? The best way to treat is with Ivomectin, but if you use the pour-on you don't want to do so without doing a Wazine (piperazine 17%) worming two weeks before if she hasn't been wormed in over 6 months with a broad spectrum or in over 2 months with wazine.

If she hasn't been wormed recently, soak her legs in water to soften. try to remove whatever excess scaliness you can gently. Pat dry. Then use 1% ivermectin injectable and paint that on his legs. Then use a little olive oil on top of that (not vaseline). Repeat the following week.

It wouldn't hurt to dust them all with "permethrin" poultry dust. Be sure the active ingredient is permethrin, not any other 'methrin or chemical. It's usually sold in a shaker can and called "poultry dust", "lice dust", "garden and poultry dust", or "livestock mite and louse dust". The active ingredient listed on the label should always be permethrin.

If you find mites on the birds or wood, you'll want to get the liquid permethrin (Goat lice spray with permethrin as the active ingredient, or livestock spray, or Ectiban EC) and spray the roosts, wood, etc. PoultryProtector is an enzymatic cleaner that cleans mite eggs off of wood and lice eggs off of birds - it can be handy, but treating and then repeating in 7 days as the mites hatch out is the way to go really.

Soak the legs in warm water with some very gentle soap VERY dilute in it (ivory, or better yet - something like Nolvasan antiseptic diluted to a capful per a quarter of water. Scrub the legs with a toothbrush to get rid of the excess scaliness. The scaliness is made both by the gunk coming from mites that are burrowing under the skin (quite like mange mites do) as well as the products of irritation of the skin itself. Pat dry. Then you can use the 1% ivermectin on the legs. Dilute with a little water to get it to soak in. Or you can worm with ivermectin 5% cattle pour-on and you'll get the second worming done and be able to do it usually twice annually with ivermectin thereafter. ONLY use the 'broad spectrum' type wormers on birds over four months who have been wormed with wazine first.

Worm with Wazine.
Get started on working on the legs by soaking and scrubbing. (You can put olive oil on them after the cleansing). repeat the oil part daily until 2 weeks later.

Two weeks later:
Worm with ivermectin pour-on (birds over four months) which will kill the mites and the rest of the worms. (Reworm birds under four months with wazine two weeks from this date).

Continue oil for another week.

Note: Sometimes the scales will bleed after you kill the mites as they dislodge from the skin. Be forewarned. It is normal. That's just an indication of exactly how much damage they do under those scales where we can't see.

The scales might not return to normal, but at least the issue won't be there anymore.

On dusting, permethrin (the chemical you want - check the active ingredient on the label) usually comes in a handy shaker can. Wear gloves, shake some into your hand, and then use your hand to put the powder on the birds - under their wings, under and around their vent, under their bellies, back of neck - use your gloved hand to ruffle the stuff in at each place as you apply it. Try to keep it out of their mouths and eyes. Repeat in 7 days.

 

[Lynn57]

thank you! For standard hens is 1/4 cc orally too much Ivermectin to use? And is it 1/8 cc on bantams or 4 month or chicks?

thanks again

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Very good info in this thread!:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2525157

And this one on scaley leg mites:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2713525

Here is Ivermectin dosage, by Threehorses, copied from another thread:

On the ivermectin pour on, I use 1 drop for a small OE hen sized bantam, 2 drops for an OE male to a regular small bantam, 3 drops for an average bantam or very small commercial hen, 4 drops for an average adult chicken or small large-breed hen, 5 drops for a large large-fowl bird, and 6 drops for giant breeds, a large bird. That's the blue "ivermectin" not any other '-ectin'.

I use a 3 cc syringe with a 25g needle. I of course don't inject, but I find the needle makes a very precise size of drop and allows me to place it better. I hold the syringe horizontally in case the chicken hops up so I don't poke it. Then you just have to find a very naked spot on their skin - between their shoulders or at the back of their neck works best for me. If you get it on any fluff, it will absorb into the fluff at lightening speed and then you don't know if they get it or not. So aim for very bald skin on their main body.

I treat withdrawals just as indicated for cattle. Ivermectin is not at all labeled for chickens, so we don't really know. However since it is used to treat worm infestations in humans - I like to assume that the amounts in eggs are probably safe for humans if not pregnant. However, I don't like the thought of worms being shed into an egg - so I personally withdraw for 2 weeks "just because it's icky" - such a scientific reason.

 

[Lynn57]

Thanks, well I've read so many different things now on dosages. I have the cattle Ivermectin pour on dewormer. I think thats what we're talking about here...right? It isn't blue though but clear colored.
Orally normally means "in the mouth" at least when talking horses. But your saying "on the skin". Do both ways work or it's not recommended to have the chicken ingest it?

thanks again

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
Look at the %age. I use .08% ivermectin three drops on the back of the neck.

 

[Lynn57]

Thanks! Well I did them all last night, and no ill effects today.

cheers

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Worms do not normally shed into the egg. It takes a very severe infestation for that to occur. The ivermectin gets into the blood stream and is transported throughout the body and cells, and that is how it gets into eggs, as they are formed inside the hen's body. Worms are usually in the intestine or cecal parts of the body. There are some types that infest other areas, though.