Scaly leg mites? Or something else?

[renk777]

May I suggest you throw the DE in the trash and not use it.
It could hurt them in more ways than one.
It could possible irritate their skin and make things worse too.

You can but considering the toxicity of other options, I feel that at times, it has less risk than others products. I don't use it as a preventative because I feel it's dangerous to be inhaled and I'd like to reduce/avoid exposure as much as possible. But I prefer it over toxic sprays that leave residual matter indefinitely and can build up over time. So while I respect your opinion on the DE (believe me, I agree and wish there were more / safer options) I think each of us has to kind of weigh benefit vs risk in each situation. And to date, I feel the DE is an effective and relatively safe way to treat mites if used with respect and removed promptly once it's purpose is served. I can't remove spray from wood But if you feel it can irritate the skin, I won't use it in that capacity; please let me know what I can use instead. Is Permethrin dust okay? I think I have this somewhere... https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Y-Tex-P...8&qid=1524496996&sr=1-2&keywords=poultry+dust I believe it's derived naturally though I'd have to check. Not that natural = nontoxic but I feel the body can deal with natural products better than synthetics which can cause havoc on the cellular level. If you know of any other products that are as effective in the coop without introducing toxins, I'd love to know about them as well I believe medicine and pesticides and such have their place but I always try to treat naturally first.....

 

[Kiki]

Permethrin spray can treat both poultry and the coop safely.

 

[coach723]

In my flock bare bums usually mean feather picking, usually on the roosts. The redness on your roo looks hormonal to me, I have had them get really bright red at times around the vent/tail area just from hormones. How many birds do you have in how much space? I'm not ruling out mites, but I think feather picking may be going on too. Changes in pecking order due to adding new birds or having birds mature happens, it is always kind of in flux, and spring brings an uptick in hormones and activity. Look at your space and roost layout and see if crowding may be contributing.

 

[renk777]

Permethrin spray can treat both poultry and the coop safely.

I looked up the FlyRid spray suggested earlier as it's a Permethrin spray. But the product sheet indicates it's hightly toxic to fish and invertebrates and that caution must be taken not to come into contact with it. It also mentions it's lethal to honey bees and they're endangered as it is. My entire property (which is only a 1/4 acre) is covered in flower beds to attract bees and we have a large koi pond. Even if I spray birds in run, there's no guarantee that some spray won't get on perennials and such. Are there any Permethrin sprays with less potential to cause harm in unintentional places/ways? I'm thinking there must be. Which spray do you use?

 

[aart]

I feel the DE is an effective and relatively safe way to treat mites

Thing is...if you do have mites, DE won't kill them.

I don't treat or medicate quickly either...but when I see lice, the permethrin comes out pronto before they get to the stage that multiple long term treatments are necessary.I I don't treat for pests unless I know for sure they are present, meaning seeing them with my own eyes.

The scaly leg mites should be eradicated with 2-3 application so oil or PJ,
but the scales won't regenereate for weeks.
To continue to treat won't help, it takes time for the scales to recover.

The redness on legs and butt....hard to say what's causing them, have seen both here and didn't treat as I could not positively clarify what the problem actually was.

One reason I do not like feather legged birds is those follicles can be problematic, and the feather themselves gather much and snow and ice. Have BCM for OE's...wish my birds were of the clean legged strain.

 

[Kiki]

I looked up the FlyRid spray suggested earlier as it's a Permethrin spray. But the product sheet indicates it's hightly toxic to fish and invertebrates and that caution must be taken not to come into contact with it. It also mentions it's lethal to honey bees and they're endangered as it is. My entire property (which is only a 1/4 acre) is covered in flower beds to attract bees and we have a large koi pond. Even if I spray birds in run, there's no guarantee that some spray won't get on perennials and such. Are there any Permethrin sprays with less potential to cause harm in unintentional places/ways? I'm thinking there must be. Which spray do you use?

The permethrin itself is toxic to bees.

 

[Kiki]

Research Neem Oil.

Spraying your birds and or coop with one of these below isn't going to kill off all your bees, IMO.

Pyrethrin
Pyrethrin is an organic liquid concentrate derived form the flower Chrysanthemum Cinerariifolium, also known as mums. Mums are naturally resistant to pests thanks to the pyrethrin in their chemistry which is a natural neurotoxin. Pyrethrin (MSDS) is considered to be a safe, low-toxicity pesticide that is easily inactivated in the mammalian or avian body, however it is highly toxic to insects, cats, fish and aquatic invertebrates. Pyrethrin does not last long and biodegrades quickly which is good for the environment. You can find this as an active ingredient of many mite and lice sprays found in retail stores.

Permethrin
Permethrin is the synthetic version of Pyrethrin. It does not degrade quickly like Pyrethrin, so it offers residual efficacy giving it more time to kill more bugs. In field and garden applications, permethrin leaves residuals that wash into waterways and cause serious ecological issues, but this is not a major concern for us since we are spraying a small amount of it directly on our birds and coop, not over acres of farmland. Just like Pyrethrin, Permethrin (MSDS) is a low-toxicity pesticide that is easily inactivated in the mammalian and avian body, however it is highly toxic to insects, cats, fish and aquatic invertebrates. This product is a common active ingredient in retail pest sprays and concentrates, it’s used in the Nix shampoo so many school children have used to rid themselves of lice and it’s on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines. Many military and hiking product companies treat uniforms, bug nets and other clothing items with this to guard against biting insects, especially in areas where malaria is prevalent. You can find different liquid concentrations of permethrin in farm stores and online.

 

[renk777]

In my flock bare bums usually mean feather picking, usually on the roosts. The redness on your roo looks hormonal to me, I have had them get really bright red at times around the vent/tail area just from hormones. How many birds do you have in how much space? I'm not ruling out mites, but I think feather picking may be going on too. Changes in pecking order due to adding new birds or having birds mature happens, it is always kind of in flux, and spring brings an uptick in hormones and activity. Look at your space and roost layout and see if crowding may be contributing.

We have a run that contains 2 coops...one can hold about 12 birds and the other is recommended for 8. The larger can probably hold 15 as it has 3 roosting bars and the girls like to sit 5 across rather than 4 on each bar but we prefer not to pack it. They have their choice of which coop(s) to overnight in. Right now, we have 11 birds and all are choosing the larger coop (probably due to colder temps) but last summer, we found that when the flock was larger, they'd separate and utilize both coops. Both coops are inside a larger run which more than doubles the space and the run extends under our deck so that they have additional space that's protected from the elements to laze around and avoid the hot sun. For 11 birds, it's a nice amount of room. We started out with over 20 birds last year and it was too much. They spent the majority of the day in our yard so we didn't see any feather pulling or issues due to crowding but we decided that the destruction to the yard and maintaining happiness throughout the winter was more difficult. Going forward, the only time we'll have that many birds is when some are retiring and others are preparing to be introduced...and the new girls would be in the tractor during that phase anyway. For the most part, our girls get along fine. There are a couple that are lower on the totem pole and sometimes get pecked while eating but I don't see bullying at other times. And the door on the larger coop is automated so as soon as the sun comes up, it opens so any that might be getting pecked in the boredom of the coop have the ability to get out. But that doesn't mean it's not happening. I just haven't seen any feather loss until we dispatched 6 birds and the roo-ratio was thrown...and now, as the molt is imminent. Forgot to mention that the other roo was adopted out on Friday. Ornery little fellow...though I loved him immensely. He had no issues with his feet. They were slate blue and so pretty for boy feet haha

 

[Kiki]

What are the exact dimensions of each coops?
Are they premade ones? If the "box" recommended 8 birds it really means 4.

 

[aart]

.and now, as the molt is imminent.

They should not molt until late summer/fall.