scaly leg mites

D SCHWARTZ 26 · May 25, 2018

Hey I have scaly leg mites and I think regular mites as well in my coop and on my birds.
I cleaned the coop out yesterday and want to start treating them and my coop. But I have heard so many different ideas on what I need to do and am confused on what I should do and what will work.
I should mention I am also 6 months pregnant and have 10 hens and a rooster and I can't catch them during the day so what ever I have to do has to be done in the evening after I get my 2 toddler boys to bed.
So something not to time consuming would be awesome.
Any advice would be great.
Also dose food grade DE actually work can it actually be that simple???
Thanks Dianne

coach723 · May 25, 2018

If it were me, I would have someone else do this at 6 months pregnant. Better safe than sorry. You will need to do some homework and make a decision for yourself about what risk, if any, of exposure to the chemicals. DE is not effective and can cause respiratory irritation, to you and your birds. Everywhere I looked there were no studies done on pregnant women, so the true risk is unknown for the chemicals.
Having said that, the most common products used to treat lice/mites are those containing permethrin. Elector PSP is said by many to be a very good product (it's expensive, and I've never had reason to use it so can't personally vouch for it). You (or your help) will need to treat the birds and the coop, and clean out the coop.
Scaly Leg mites are less of a concern as far as safety of products, you can use vegetable oil or vaseline, A & D ointment, to smother the mites. I usually use castor oil. Depending on the severity of infection to the legs, soak in epsom salts or soapy water and use a soft toothbrush to gently remove all debris that you can from around the scales, try not to damage the scales. Dry the legs and feet off and apply the oil and work it into the raised scales, I use the soft toothbrush again for this. Reapply the oil several times a week until the scales are looking normal again, can take weeks or months depending on severity.
Here is a link with pictures for identification and treatment options, which may help for all of them:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/