Rooster Leg Injury plus leg mites.

[flyingroosterranch]

Older welsummer rooster with leg injury where leg joins body above hock.
He also has a bad case of scaley leg mites. I am treating him with vaseline everyday. Is there anything else we can do for him. He can't hop up on anything, but can put weight on it.
Not sure what caused his leg injury. Anyone know if the black part in the pictures will fall off.
Jake is one of our best roosters and I don't want to loose him. He is 7 years old and a handsome bird, all put his feet and now legs.

 

[WVduckchick]

Yea I think a better pic might help, but i know how hard it is to get them to cooperate sometimes. There's no break? Almost looks like something got shoved up under a scale. I'm not sure if mites lift it that much or not. Maybe just the infection from them?

@casportpony @Wyorp Rock @aart any thoughts here?

 

[aart]

Better pics would help......got anyone that could help by taking some pics while you stretch the left leg out?

Left leg(his left leg, on right side of pic) looks freshly injured?
Is there a cut?

Right leg/foot looks swollen, middle toe always that crooked?
Any cuts on right foot on bottom or between toes?
Possible frostbite?

Scaly mites doesn't look too bad, how long have you been treating it?
How long did he have them before treating?
Might just look better due to recent treatments.
Sometimes the scales will never retract to 'normal',
can take long weeks for them to be replaced.

When I have a gimpy bird, if limp is really bothering them by inhibiting their normal activities too much, I will isolate them in a crate to 'force' rest for a day or two. Letting them out late in day, an hour before roost time, to give them a stretch and evaluate their mobility, then decide if they need another day and put them back in crate off roost after dark. Repeat stretch and eval the next day until they are better. Keep crate in coop so bird can remain 'with' the flock.

This is the crate I use, set up here for a broody, put right on bedding for limper.
Fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I agree with everyone.

See the black circles in the photo - I know you have vaseline on the legs, that won't hurt, but the see gritty stuff under the scales? That's most likely mite poop (could be some dirt too, vaseline is like a magnet). After soaking, I would definitely give the legs a gentle scrub with a soft brush to loosen that debris and wash it away. Pat dry, then re-apply your vaseline. You can also use A+D ointment or since the leg does appear to have a wound/sore spot, you can use Vetericyn or triple antibiotic ointment. The purpose of ointments/oils is to smother the leg mites.

Red circle - is that part of the injury you are asking will fall off? Does it look/feel like dead tissue?

Green circle - not exactly sure what's going on there - looks like possibly new scales, but they are raised.

I agree with @aart this foot and toe looks swollen. What does the bottom of the feet look like - any scabs, cuts, etc.?

 

[WVduckchick]

You could try soaking his leg in a lukewarm Epsom salt bath. For leg mites, I added some Ivermectin parasitic to a plastic baggie with some Vaseline, squished it together, then applied to the legs. Did a couple treatments, 2-3 days apart and they cleared up.
Can't make out the issue with your guys leg from the pic. Is the dark spot a scab? can you maybe get a better pic?

Also, if he has leg mites, you should probably treat the whole coop.

 

[flyingroosterranch]

I will see if he lets me get a better picture this evening.

 

[Stayc]

Aww, I'm sorry about your guy. Hope he's better soon

 

[casportpony]

When treating leg mites I start by filling my bathtub with enough warm water to cover their legs, then I place them in the tub with the lights out and let them stand in the water for a good 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes I take them to the sink and very carefully scrub their scales a fingernail brush or old toothbrush. I also carefully remove all "debris".

It would be really helpful to see pictures of his legs after you clean them. Can you get a friend to help take pictures?

 

[flyingroosterranch]

Okay, update, I had to work late last night and tonight, but I did go out and treat with antibiotic ointment and vasoline. He was born with the crooked toes. Both of his middle toes are pretty good size so not sure on swelling. I do think he has mites, but am more worried about what i think is injury of some kind to his left leg. i am going out tonight with hubby to get some better pictures of his left leg. Will try to clean it off first, not sure how he will like that as i am sure it is sore. He will let me put vasoline treatment on it. I did forget to mention that when he stands on either foot he will stretch the other foot out behind him and then put it back down. He can stand on both feet but he can't seem to jump up on anything with it. So every night after I treat him I put him in one of the nesting boxes so he is not on the cold floor. Have heat lamp on when temperatures get below 20 degrees to keep him and the girls comfortable. The red circle you put above is what I was referring to when I asked if anyone thought it would fall off as it is black like dead flesh. I did notice the red and figured he had some kind of infection but not sure from what. He has never had good looking feet, but never this bad. I have to admit that I did not notice the injury at the top for about a week due to all his feathering. The only thing I could see was the raised scales and him limping.
I will post again later this evening after treatment and new pictures. I will check bottom of his feet as well, but I don't think there is anything wrong with his foot pad but will look again. Yes the green circle is new scales but they are pushed up that is why I at first thought mites but his upper leg looks so bad that I'm pretty sure that is what i need to be treating first.

 

[aart]

Sad update, my rooster Jake had to be put down. I took him to an avian vet in our area, he had cancer, the sores were cancer growths that he had been burst, he had more up on his body near his bad legs, to confirm everyone's diagnosis he did have scaley leg mites as well, but that was not his main issue.

So sorry.
Thank you so much for following up with the diagnosis.
Best of Luck with your search for a new cockbird.
I had a Wellie cock, he was a great bird.