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

[Eggcessive]

WD40 safe for chickens feet???? My girl has scaly leg mites. I want to try it but doesn't seem safe

Please don't do that. Use some vaseline, cooking oil, castor oil, PAM, or something non-toxic that isn't dangerous.

 

[paulina16]

Thank you so much. . Yeah that seems very dangerous to put on her legs.

 

[pdirt]

I think we got the SLM from the yard leaves. Feed store owner says it could be from wild birds that roosted above the fallen leaves.

We've done two treatments.

First, we dipped each birds leg into a mix of mineral oil, Vicks (for essential oils) and a few drops of lavender essential oil. A week later we noticed significant improvement on the bird most affected.

Second treatment was putting Nu Stock on the legs of the same bird. A week later, a fair amount of the Nu Stock is still on her legs, seems longer lasting than the first, albeit less expensive treatment. Her legs continue to improve.

 

[merlotmudpies]

Hoo boy. My RITs have scaly leg. They've had it since I got them and I'm so green I didn't realize it wasn't normal at first. Have been spraying with a mite spray we got at the feed store and am noticing some slow improvement but really like the tea tree suggestion a lot. Will be giving this a try. Gonna clean the coop and scour it out this week, too. I keep it clean but it could use a thorough scouring so I may as well do it!!

I've been using food grade DE. I'm assuming that's good in their bedding etc?

 

[pdirt]

Hoo boy. My RITs have scaly leg. They've had it since I got them and I'm so green I didn't realize it wasn't normal at first. Have been spraying with a mite spray we got at the feed store and am noticing some slow improvement but really like the tea tree suggestion a lot. Will be giving this a try. Gonna clean the coop and scour it out this week, too. I keep it clean but it could use a thorough scouring so I may as well do it!!

I've been using food grade DE. I'm assuming that's good in their bedding etc?

Have you treated the affected birds as well or just their housing/bedding? I think you need to also treat the birds directly for best results, if you haven't already done so. I would not use tea tree oil undiluted directly on the birds, it might be too strong.

Regarding DE, from what I've read, it depends on what sort of bedding system you are doing. We do the Deep Litter Method, essentially creating a compost system that keeps nasty bugs to a minimum, heats the coop and requires only 1-2x/year cleaning. If you do a different style, one that cleans out the bedding every week or two, perhaps DE might be useful. But using DE in the Deep Litter will also kill healthy bugs. There are those who swear by DE, but I'm not one of them because I don't want it to harm my Deep Litter Method.

 

[pdirt]

I think we got the SLM from the yard leaves. Feed store owner says it could be from wild birds that roosted above the fallen leaves.

We've done two treatments.

First, we dipped each birds leg into a mix of mineral oil, Vicks (for essential oils) and a few drops of lavender essential oil. A week later we noticed significant improvement on the bird most affected.

Second treatment was putting Nu Stock on the legs of the same bird. A week later, a fair amount of the Nu Stock is still on her legs, seems longer lasting than the first, albeit less expensive treatment. Her legs continue to improve.

Update: got some straw and have put a thick layer of that down on top of the deep litter, rather than trying to dig out all the leaves right now in the deep snow of winter. Also forgot to mention that we painted the roosts with the mineral oil/Vick's/lavender mixture as well.

It's been over a month since the oil dip and over 3 weeks since coating the most affected bird with Nu Stock. Her legs and feet look much, much better now, but still a few lifted scales. I might do another coat of Nu Stock on her this weekend. First heard about Nu Stock from Beekissed on BYC here and I have to agree with her, I think it's great stuff.

Poor bird, I think the most affected one may have had SLM since we first got her last May and we just didn't know it, being green ourselves. Her demeanor has changed since treating her SLM, she seems a bit kinder and a little less edgy.

 

[merlotmudpies]

Hey guys I just looked on Amazon for Nu Stock and its 55% off right now. I hope this helps some of you. I ordered a tube right away!

 

[Beekissed]

Hey guys I just looked on Amazon for Nu Stock and its 55% off right now. I hope this helps some of you. I ordered a tube right away!

Good to know! Thank you!!!

 

[DreamertK]

I have two 6 month old sex links that I've had for a month already. I was wondering if they had pre-mites or if they just had dry skin on their scales.

They're pretty fat, eat a lot of food and drink a lot of water, defecate normally, not laying yet but they're starting to redden up. I haven't noticed any limping or difficulty moving. The bedding is aspen wood. Sometimes it is dry here only in the summer time though, recently it's been pretty humid and rainy. Every day I make sure they have plenty of clean water. They have a sand box in the run, but I'm not sure they understand what it's for...I've never seen them use it.





I was thinking about putting some petroleum jelly on their legs anyway, if at least to act as a moisturizer.

 

[Beekissed]

Looks like dry scales to me. Winter time tends to dry out scales/feet/combs and wattles.