Scaly Leg Mites - Need Best / Easiest / Quickest Solution - Scaley

[trudyg]

I think that if dunking is all you can get accomplished (due to her being skittish) then dunking is what you do. Not everyone/every chicken can do the soak, scrub, etc. I washed a dirty butt yesterday and wrapped her in a towel and covered her head and she still fought every minute. Hopefully, if you do it more frequently, she'll get used to it and not struggle, but I would do what I could even if it's not the whole routine. I've been dunking mine in an ice cream pail full of mineral oil every few days and it's all I can do to get that done during the week.

 

[Gert555]

So, I only got one response to my query about this, so I'll try again here. I figure my rooster has it, so I'll have to treat him. Do I also need to treat everyone in the coop? I'm guessing yes, since I have some very young birds and slathering oil on them now would kill any mites that happen to already be there?

And, since I'm pulling them off the roost to smear on oil (plan to use castor oil), I'll go ahead and give them a good once-over and dust with sevin dust just in case for other critters. Probably need to put some ivermectin on the adult birds? I'll have to get some on the way home and then research dosage/pound. My rooster's probably 10 pounds. put it on the young ones too?

I haven't seen any mites or lice in the coop, which had a very thorough cleaning and was sprayed with sevin spray, then neem oil on roost ends and other contact points where bugs could hide. That happened just prior to putting all the chicks in with the adults, so 3 or 4 weeks ago. I'll clean it out again saturday, sweep it and spray but not as deep as I just did recently, that's really hard in this heat. (by deep cleaning, I mean that I even washed the rafter surfaces, don't want to do that much again). My nest boxes are the plastic ones attached to the wall, so easy to pull out. I use that fake grass pad for them.

Please advise.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

So, I only got one response to my query about this, so I'll try again here. I figure my rooster has it, so I'll have to treat him. Do I also need to treat everyone in the coop? I'm guessing yes, since I have some very young birds and slathering oil on them now would kill any mites that happen to already be there?

And, since I'm pulling them off the roost to smear on oil (plan to use castor oil), I'll go ahead and give them a good once-over and dust with sevin dust just in case for other critters. Probably need to put some ivermectin on the adult birds? I'll have to get some on the way home and then research dosage/pound. My rooster's probably 10 pounds. put it on the young ones too?

I haven't seen any mites or lice in the coop, which had a very thorough cleaning and was sprayed with sevin spray, then neem oil on roost ends and other contact points where bugs could hide. That happened just prior to putting all the chicks in with the adults, so 3 or 4 weeks ago. I'll clean it out again saturday, sweep it and spray but not as deep as I just did recently, that's really hard in this heat. (by deep cleaning, I mean that I even washed the rafter surfaces, don't want to do that much again). My nest boxes are the plastic ones attached to the wall, so easy to pull out. I use that fake grass pad for them.

Please advise.

Hi! Since your in Alabama, I'll note that I believe the Sevin dust (Carbaryl) is no longer suggested for chickens under your rules and regulations but I don't have the information in front of me. @casportpony @KikisGirls @Wyorp Rock and many others can advise. Permethrin is the suggested choice of many.

In Canada, it's still acceptable to use Carbaryl. I've never done oiling and powdering at the same time; more for the issue of the powder and oil together. However, I do them separately.

If your rooster has leg mites, and he's been in with your hens; I would opt to treat them all at the same time if possible.

Have you seen any parasites on your birds? That's a job that's not very fun IF you don't have to do it. Last year I dusted and let them go in the coop as I was dusting. I didn't have any indications of mites all summer and fall.

 

[casportpony]

Sevin is no longer "labeled" for use in poultry in the US, but many still use it. I prefer permethrin but would use Sevin if that was all I had.

 

[Gert555]

Thanks. I just figured since I had them in hand I would give them a good going over. I haven't seen any visible pests, only the scaly legs. Does scaly leg affect the comb at all? The rooster with bad legs also has white patches on his ears, but I thought that was due to this oppressive heat we're having.

My chickens free range, so they are exposed to wild birds and they could easily have bugs that I'm not aware of, but I do check them every time I clean the coop (every 3 months, all bedding and gear goes out, inside & gear gets a good scrubbing). I've noticed the legs before but, the other day, I noticed a scale hanging and thought uh-oh, better get ahead of this.

I normally don't dust just because, but will this time since I want to stop any and everything before it starts. The ivermectin + castor oil is for the slm. Haven't wormed them since I didn't see a need for it, the poop board shows droppings overnight are normal except for the occasional splat.

We can get sevin dust here but only in small containers, not the big bags like we used to. Or the liquid that you mix up, which is what I have to spray the coop with when I do a deep clean (I get wasps up in the top). I can get malathion or permethrin, I'm a regular at TSC.

Should I oil up the chicks? or leave them and keep an eye? I think that, for prevention's sake I'd oil them regardless but not the ivermectin or dust unless I see a need.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I haven't seen any visible pests, only the scaly legs. Does scaly leg affect the comb at all? The rooster with bad legs also has white patches on his ears, but I thought that was due to this oppressive heat we're having.

Can you post some photos of the comb and white patches on the ears?

 

[Gert555]

Sorry, but I didn't see the request for pictures until after I greased him up. Glad I did, he had some dark spots on the toes just past his nail that I was afraid was scabs/infection, but it seemd to soften up with the grease so I'll just watch it. I'm going to grease him up again next week and then, if it's still dark looking, I'll plan ahead to be ready to soak and have a closer look. Now I have to research what this dark stuff could be. Hope it's just caked on poop....

 

[BonDEEroo]

Regular applications of olive oil mixed with a bit of tea tree oil, painted on the legs with a small paintbrush, works for us. I hold the bird under the left arm holding the legs with the left hand, and paint with the right hand. This method avoids too much kicking and flapping, spilt oil etc.

 

[Gert555]

So I've just done the adult chickens (2 as a repeat). I got up at 3 a.m. and snagged the rooster first. Carried him to the garage, where I had a table set up with towels, sevin dust, ivermectin (already measured out in disposable syringes), blu kote, and castor oil w/ a paint brush. While he was held by the feet, head down (and no, he did not pass out during the whole time), I inspected his vent and under the feathers/wings/etc looking for nasties.

I found nothing but dry skin, so I applied ivermectin drops to each armpit and belly just up from the vent, then gave him a dusting of sevin. Laid him on his back on the towel and wrapped him like a burrito, covering his head so he'd be in the dark. I was able to clean his feet and, using the brush, really get a good coating of castor oil on his feet and legs. He had been done the day before, so I could see where the oil had already been applied. But I had not done so well on his comb and was able to get it real well today. Put him back on the roost and snagged the next one. It's funny who resists and who doesnt. Both chickens that I was doing a repeat on had needed a spritz of blu kote for injuries (I'm not a great chickenwrangler), those injuries looked real good and didn't need more attention.

The think I'm noticing most is the dry skin. What should I do about that? Also, just a side note, yesterday during the day I could tell that the 2 who I did that morning were looking at me like what happened? And they seemed so much more comfortable. I think the moisturizing effect of the castor oil,plus the fact that it draws out inflammation/irritations and soothes joints, made a big difference. I don't plan to do the younger birds, since they still keep thier distance pretty much (in process of integrating) but they are in the same coop. I still need to butcher several of them, so can't see treating them and then butchering.....

Thanks for all the input.

 

[Eggs82]

Battled these suckers before. I used cheap cooking oil with a dash of sevin dust mixed in. Dipped there legs twice a week for 3 weeks. Really did the job.