Scaly mites... Best way to clean the coop?

[happylittlehens]

I have a buff Orpington with a pretty good case of scaly leg mites. No other chickens are showing signs of mites. I believe this girl is the one that sleeps burrowed in the bedding on the floor instead of roosting So my question is... what’s the best way to clean/disinfect the coop? It’s pretty cold right now with highs around 40 and lows in the teens so I don’t think I can just empty it, scrub it down and spray it out. It will just freeze and not dry out. Any suggestions please, before the rest of my flock gets them!? Thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You can clean out the bedding and since your temps are going into the teens, you may want to sprinkle Permethrin poultry dust on the bedding and mix that in.
Scaly Leg Mites live under the scales, but can slowly migrate to the other chickens.
What method of treatment are you going to use on her?
For legs like that and cold weather, I would use Ivermectin to treat just her for the SLM. Dosage info can be found HERE
Also apply some type of oil (coconut, castor, vaseline, A+D ointment) or Nu Stock to the scales to help heal them - the application of these will also smother the mites as well, but the Ivermectin is absorbed into the bloodstream so it's effective and will take care of any body lice or mites that she may have as well.
Take a look at the bottom of her feet while you are treating her, could be staining from dirt, but does she have any sores on the bottom of her foot?

For your other chickens, it won't hurt them one bit to apply a light coating of oil to their legs too. Even if they don't have SLM oil helps with dryness and smooths the scales, if they do have SLM starting, then the oil should smother those too.

 

[happylittlehens]

We had a pretty warm day yesterday so I soaked her legs/feet in soap water and scrubbed them with a soft toothbrush. After I dried her off I smothered her legs/feet with canola oil. Where do I get ivermectin? I think she may have a bumble foot. I will check her more throughly today. She was not interested in being handled anymore yesterday. Thanks for your help!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We had a pretty warm day yesterday so I soaked her legs/feet in soap water and scrubbed them with a soft toothbrush. After I dried her off I smothered her legs/feet with canola oil. Where do I get ivermectin? I think she may have a bumble foot. I will check her more throughly today. She was not interested in being handled anymore yesterday. Thanks for your help!

Sounds like she had a spa!
Some birds don't like to be handled a lot. You may have to do it in stages until she gets used to it.
You can find Ivermectin at most feed stores or online.