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

[raewhitewolf]

I just painted the castor oil on with an artist paintbrush, maybe just under an inch wide, it was nice and easy to get between their toes that way.

 

[Bukbuk Betty]

That's what I was hoping you'd say I have found that the easiest way to apply oil too. Good to hear you've had positive results doing it that way, so I shall persevere and try the castor oil.

 

[Beekissed]

Are you folks treating with the castor oil dipping them or painting it on? And are you using it straight-up or mixing with mineral oil, etc? I've been painting on mineral oil with a bit of tea treeabout once a week for the past few weeks and not seeing a whole lot of improvement. I'm reluctant to dip my booted birds because of the feathers being soaked, but also because painting is easy to do without extra help.

Aside from the castor oil, has anyone used DVL Dusting Powder for scaly leg mites, either in the coop or on the birds themselves? The can says it treats mites, lice, etc but I wasn't sure if/how one would use it for slm. As well I wondered if it was the kind of thing that soaks into their skin/system or just kills bugs via contact. Can anyone chime in on this? I may just contact the company itself, but asking here anyhow.

With the CO, I don't paint nor do I dip, but just pour the oil into my hand and massage it with an upward motion into all the scales. I don't mix it with anything else, as it holds all the properties necessary for ridding the mites on its own~thick, viscous oil for smothering them and also insecticidal properties to kill them and ward them off. One good slathering and then I let that do its work for awhile....usually I don't need to repeat the first application, as I start to notice results just days after the initial dose. The scales start to look more supple, the redness fades and the old scales start to be pushed up by new scale growth and eventually just slough off.

After using it to good effect that first time, I now use it as a preventative in the late fall, before winter sets in, and I've not had a recurrence of mites since. I also rub it into their combs and wattles when temps get severe...seems to help prevent frost bite too by bringing more circulation to the area and as an emollient that works as a moisture barrier.

 

[chickencrazy21]

Question. I have like 42 birds but 16 are chicks and havnt been introduced to the flock. I heard putting frontline drops on the back of there necks and smoothering there legs with coconut oil will work. Or is it better to spray there legs with like a flea and tick spray?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Question. I have like 42 birds but 16 are chicks and havnt been introduced to the flock. I heard putting frontline drops on the back of there necks and smoothering there legs with coconut oil will work. Or is it better to spray there legs with like a flea and tick spray?

Any kind of oil will work. I would avoid coconut oil though just because it's expensive. When I did it, I added a couple drops of tea tree essential oil into the oil I was using but just a couple drops, it's VERY potent. I don't know about the Frontline drops. I wouldn't use a flea and tick spray. Not only am I not sure if it would work against them but it would be very difficult to get it up under the scales where the mites live.

 

[chickencrazy21]

I bought coconut oil at costco two big jugs for like $19 so it wasnt bad. Maybe ill just smoother them how often should i put it

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I bought coconut oil at costco two big jugs for like $19 so it wasnt bad. Maybe ill just smoother them how often should i put it

If you have time to do it every evening, that would be best but no less than every other day. I used vegetable oil, put it in an ice cream bucket and just grabbed one bird at a time, did a quick dip, then moved on to the next. Took no time at all to do them all.

 

[audy5000g]

Amazing thread. Wow just wow! Since 2008 too. I am greatful for the advice. Will use tomorrow.

Now if I could find as good as advice on gleet vent. Arg.

 

[littleseed]

Nifty sorry I did not see this before.  Glad your coop is as clean as new, that's always a good feeling, but scaly leg mites live the entire life cycle on the leg so you did not have to do that.  Treating the perches and coop is for body mites, either chicken or red type.

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/MF2387.PDF


I have had the best luck with using Tea Tree Oil ointment to treat scaly leg mites.  It has a natural insectiside and it smothers too.  In a bad case I do a couple days in a row then once a week for couple weeks.  That's it generally.  As this OZNET states you can use any oil and you can mix in a bit of insectiside with it if you want, but just oil will work.  I just found the Tea Tree faster.

this link is broken to the article. I'd love to read that you don't have to clean outcoop.

 

[audy5000g]

this link is broken to the article. I'd love to read that you don't have to clean outcoop.

We used VetRx on legs and worked like a charm.