Scaly leg mites?

[Bonniebilly]

Hi there. Think our three ladies might have scaly leg mites? I only noticed today so waited until they were sleeping to check (they are impossible to catch otherwise). It's been very very wet recently (we live in Ireland so it's always wet here) and the back garden is pretty much just a muck pile at the moment so thought it might be something to do with that perhaps? They don't have any grass to wander about in as we were landscaping just before the winter hit. But there are patio areas which they have access to.

Anyway, I've read up on how to treat scaly leg mites if it is them. Just looking for someone to confirm before I do.

Also, any advice on how to prevent in the future? And how exactly can one clean their coop if it is mites?

Thanks in advance.
Dave


Hithere. if it

 

[my sunwolf]

Yes, that looks like scaly leg. It takes a few months for their legs to look like that, though, so unless it's been wet all season I don't think that's the cause. Mine just seem to pick them up--as they get older, they tend to be more susceptible. Prevention involves coating the legs once a month or so in oil, vaseline, pyrethrin powder, etc. And maintaining a healthy immune system. Otherwise, I haven't found useful prevention! In my experience, I would treat all the birds and not worry about treating the coop since the mites can't live off of the birds for very long. However, some people say to treat the roost boards as well.

 

[Michael Apple]

Treat the roosts with Permectrin II or better yet, use Ravap EC. Spray or brush under, both sides, and tops of roosts. Use Nu-Stock on the legs of affected birds 2-3 times a week. Wear nitrile gloves and massage it into the full length of the leg to the toes. Do it at night while birds are roosting so the medicine can penetrate the scales all night and not attract dirt.

 

[Bonniebilly]

Thanks. Our birds do not roost though. The have a roosting board but they just sleep on the coop floor. I have always found that strange though.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: I used to treat with pine tar (pure Stockholm tar). One or two applications, one or two weeks apart, and all the infected and damaged scales fall off leaving pristine scales behind.

But I rarely treat externally any more because I noticed that giving each adult bird a clove of raw garlic per day with their feed gradually killed off the scaly leg mites and they never came back. It's a win win situation for me as garlic prevents and treats many parasite and disease issues.

Best wishes.

 

[Michael Apple]

Thanks. Our birds do not roost though. The have a roosting board but they just sleep on the coop floor. I have always found that strange though.

Since you're in Ireland, You may not find the products I mentioned. Excuse me for that. Here are some products from a shop near you that may be useful:
http://www.oldmcdonald.ie/products/...ts_subcategory_id=33&products_manufacture_id=

I hope that helps. I wouldn't use pine tar and garlic unless you want a mess on your hands. My birds regularly have garlic in their formulated feed and it has never repelled scaly mites.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote:
What sort of garlic do you use? Fresh and raw or granulated and dried or fermented or cooked? If it comes in their 'formulated feed' chances are it's cooked and if that's the case, no wonder it doesn't work, lol.

I use fresh and raw and it hasn't failed me yet. But a lot of Americans say it doesn't work, or it's too much work, and a lot of them use old minced stuff from jars and expect it to do the same as fresh stuff.

About pine tar being a mess, gloves were invented for those who don't want dirty hands. I don't mind since I do a lot of gardening and outdoors work. It soaks right into their scales and won't even leave a mess on their feathers unless their feathers are old and have lost the sheen of health as they are due to be replaced. Better than using chemicals, for those who prefer to not use such things without some kind of emergency reason.

Each to their own. We'll all find what works for us.

 

[Michael Apple]

What sort of garlic do you use? Fresh and raw or granulated and dried or fermented or cooked? If it comes in their 'formulated feed' chances are it's cooked and if that's the case, no wonder it doesn't work, lol.

I use fresh and raw and it hasn't failed me yet. But a lot of Americans say it doesn't work, or it's too much work, and a lot of them use old minced stuff from jars and expect it to do the same as fresh stuff.

About pine tar being a mess, gloves were invented for those who don't want dirty hands. I don't mind since I do a lot of gardening and outdoors work. It soaks right into their scales and won't even leave a mess on their feathers unless their feathers are old and have lost the sheen of health as they are due to be replaced. Better than using chemicals, for those who prefer to not use such things without some kind of emergency reason.

Each to their own. We'll all find what works for us.

A mess on the bird, rather. Yeah, I know about gloves. I prefer the nitrile gloves. Pine tar is not practical at all from what I've seen. Thick, doesn't penetrate, and gets all over feathers. Then you have a layer of dust all over the pine tar once the bird goes outside. No sense in that. A concoction of mineral oil, sulfur, and pine oil is what is formulated for products like Nu-Stock. Very effective. If you can provide proof that garlic removes Knemidocoptes mites, I'd like to see it. Until then I will recommend what I, and other people who've spent many years raising birds, have successfully used to control that problem.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: We must be using different pine tars then. I know there are a lot of diluted and adulterated mixes out there and people report some wildly different outcomes using "pine tar"; also, different places use different species of pine tree, different parts of the tree, different methods, and add all manner of different additives.

Pure Stockholm tar is the best sort and it most definitely penetrates without an issue. I've used it on my own wounds as well as the animal's and it penetrates into unbroken flesh and accesses any deep infection or foreign body etc and takes away the pain as it heals it. I've used it to remove a cyst on a turkey and there's no way it would have removed the cyst if it wasn't penetrating. The pain is gone very quickly and so is the infection. It doesn't matter if dirt gets involved, or if the wound is filled with dirt and pus and whatever, pine tar handles it all. It's been used successfully on golden staph ulcers on a child that would not respond to antibiotics or other treatments, and in my experience as well as other people's experiences, it works on more things than not.

In the case of scaly leg, the scales soak it all up and the legs look darker and smell like pine tar but aren't sticky. During an application, often it soaks in so quickly that it's dry to the touch on the surface of the first leg before I've finished doing the second leg, so I go back and do it again sometimes.

When I use it on my sheep's hooves and horns it soaks into these very hard surfaces instantly and leaves no mess. It even soaks into hair and feathers and leaves them usually clean, but sometimes slightly discolored, but very rarely sticky; generally only hair or feathers that are ready to be replaced fail to absorb the tar. One of my sheep is partially polled genetically so her horns are almost scurs, and very rough and flaky unless I pine tar them, when they become shiny and hard and like proper horns should be. It does the same to hooves, as many in the horse industry know and have known for uncounted years. They use it for disinfecting damaged or infected hooves as well as other injuries, so they know it penetrates without any problems.
Quote: By all means recommend what you believe to work, and I will continue to do the same. I've never implied you shouldn't recommend what you and others have found to be successful, in fact you're the only one here who has challenged someone else's recommendation for a treatment.

You mention a product containing sulfur as being effective, then question garlic's ability to remove parasites. I suggest you reseach the actual reason garlic works. It's high in sulfur, and tiny organisms find it much harder to survive high sulfur levels than larger ones. Sulfur is commonly used as a parasite control in animals, as I assume you know, both internally and externally.

The proof is out there, you are more than welcome to find out for yourself, as I assume you're probably pretty capable of researching this by yourself. Yes, actual studies have been done on it, so yes, actual proof, not just my opinion. In fact, the proof has been around for a long time, but there are more recent studies as well.

Raw fresh garlic has many benefits dried, cooked, fermented or otherwise overprocessed garlic does not. Those claiming garlic does not work tend to be a bit reluctant to state what form of it they used. I understand; it's a bit of extra work every day to give them fresh garlic, and many people are too busy or think it's too much work, so they don't do that. It doesn't mean garlic doesn't work. It's a bit like saying worming paste isn't working when you add one drop to the water supply for 1000 birds.

Myself and others who have also spent many years raising birds have successfully used garlic to control that problem (scaly leg mite) as well as other problems, but it doesn't mean I will dismiss someone else's suggested treatment out of hand just because I use something else to control the same issue. There are many means to an end, I just prefer those that are as natural as possible, and when someone says they have an issue, I will offer any info I have which may be helpful so they can choose from the solutions people offer according to their own personal beliefs.

Each to their own and best wishes to all.

 

[Tadorne]

A mess on the bird, rather. Yeah, I know about gloves. I prefer the nitrile gloves. Pine tar is not practical at all from what I've seen. Thick, doesn't penetrate, and gets all over feathers. Then you have a layer of dust all over the pine tar once the bird goes outside. No sense in that. A concoction of mineral oil, sulfur, and pine oil is what is formulated for products like Nu-Stock. Very effective. If you can provide proof that garlic removes Knemidocoptes mites, I'd like to see it. Until then I will recommend what I, and other people who've spent many years raising birds, have successfully used to control that problem.

Doesn't look like you've checked out genuine Swedish pine tar. Believe it's sold in the States by Pinetarworld.