Scaley Leg mites... oops

Hayeslo

In the Brooder
Nov 4, 2017
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I am new to chickens and have never had any insect or fungal issues. While at a sale today I was traded a gorgeous buff laced polish hen (I’m fifteen). I noticed her legs were very odd and she had lost a few toes. I consulted a family friend who told me she had Scaley leg mites. We have begun immediate treatment with ivermectin and motor oil.

My question is how long I should quarantine the chickens I had in the same relative area (they were in individual wire cages) and if there are any cheap sure fire ways to kill this issue. I feel horrible for her...

P.S. can I or any of my other livestock (horse, sheep, dogs) catch this?
 
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Where do you live and what is the climate. Can you get a picture of the legs? Past frostbite can cause loss of toes, but extreme scaly leg mites can do that too. Leg mites cause a grey, ashy appearance to legs with raised scales. I would not use motor oil on the legs, but something less toxic, such as castor oil, lard, crisco, even vaseline. Soaking the legs once a week in warm soapy water, and gently scrubbing the scales to loosen them before applying oil would be good. Dry legs thoroughly first. Do this weekly for several weeks. Welcome to BYC.
 
Where do you live and what is the climate. Can you get a picture of the legs? Past frostbite can cause loss of toes, but extreme scaly leg mites can do that too. Leg mites cause a grey, ashy appearance to legs with raised scales. I would not use motor oil on the legs, but something less toxic, such as castor oil, lard, crisco, even vaseline. Soaking the legs once a week in warm soapy water, and gently scrubbing the scales to loosen them before applying oil would be good. Dry legs thoroughly first. Do this weekly for several weeks. Welcome to BYC.

I live in NC, it was a decent winter last year but I’m not sure about the frost bite as none of mine experienced any issues. I can’t get a photo at the moment but from photos I’ve seen it’s definitely scaley leg. The motor oil was what we had for 7:30 at night when everything was closed.
 
That is fine. Some vets use gasoline dip to immediately kill the mites, then rinse it off and apply oil. I have even used old used vegetable oil. But my rooster smelled like fried chicken afterward.

It probably wasn't frostbite in your climate, but in Jan-Feb we see a lot of missing toes here on BYC due to that.
 
I know you did what you could considering the time of day, but based on everything I'm learning about leg mites, I feel she could have waited until the next day. The toxicity of gasoline and motor oil isn't worth the exposure to a living creature.

There are different opinions on this, and that's mine. Strongly.

I've come across several people's testimony that the garlic spray recipe in Lisa's Fresh Eggs Daily blog post, here, is excellent:

http://fresheggsdaily.com/2013/02/mites-how-to-prevent-them-and-treat.html

It's also affordable, quick and easy, and the ingredients and the spray are suitable for people, too.
 
That is fine. Some vets use gasoline dip to immediately kill the mites, then rinse it off and apply oil. I have even used old used vegetable oil. But my rooster smelled like fried chicken afterward.

It probably wasn't frostbite in your climate, but in Jan-Feb we see a lot of missing toes here on BYC due to that.

That makes since, the worst part is that I leave for Indianapolis in four days, she won’t be treated in those few days I’m gone. I’m not sure how much that’ll help or hurt.
 
I know you did what you could considering the time of day, but based on everything I'm learning about leg mites, I feel she could have waited until the next day. The toxicity of gasoline and motor oil isn't worth the exposure to a living creature.

There are different opinions on this, and that's mine. Strongly.

I've come across several people's testimony that the garlic spray recipe in Lisa's Fresh Eggs Daily blog post, here, is excellent:

http://fresheggsdaily.com/2013/02/mites-how-to-prevent-them-and-treat.html

It's also affordable, quick and easy, and the ingredients and the spray are suitable for people, too.

Part of it is the origins of my stepfather, he’s from deep in the Virginia mountains (and hour and a half to the nearest grocery store). Up there they use motor oil for EVERYTHING, fleas, mange, brush management, wounds, anything.
 
I can identify with that since I am from WV and presently live in a small farming community. The gasoline suggestion is from TheChickenChick's website by a vet she contacted. They did recommend it to immediately kill the mites, then rinse it off, I believe. I usually take a nontoxic approach if I can, though. Castor oil is actually pretty good, since it does not make such an oily mess, and may need to be applied only as needed. Many love coconut oil as well. The main thing is to rub it up into the scales.

The garlic spray may work, but I haven't used it. If more people try it, it may become a favorite method, but the regular use of oil does work for me.
 

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