Those darn leg mites

[thefishery]

I just noticed that a couple of my roos and hens have some scaly legs

I've had to treat for this before and I've done so by washing legs and coating with vasoline and I'll probably do the same thing - which stinks because I've got a *MUCH* larger flock :-/ But, I got to do what makes everyone happy and healthy, right!

So...

I've read back through the forum and searched the net but I don't really see anything about treating the coop/run - which I've never really done. My flock is free ranged part of the day and part of they day they spend in their run and coop. We were getting ready to do a little redesign of the coop but I want to make sure we aren't just adding more breeding grounds for the scaly leg mites by doing so. I know free ranging is going to make them prone to these critters. I'm weighing the pros and cons here. I don't want to keep treating for these critters but I want everyone happy and they really like to roam. Is there something that I need to put in the coop? DE isn't really available in my area (unless that brand new TSC carries it). I don't want to have to do an egg with draw if I don't have to. I'd like to keep it simple. Also, it's been really wet out here with all the rain and storms. Does that make a good breeding ground for these suckers?

I've got 17 chicks that will be added to the flock in a couple more weeks. I want to make sure I'm not setting myself up for failure here.

TIA

ETA:
My coop has concrete (used to be part of the garage) floors and I spread a thin layer of pine shavings on it.

 

[welasharon]

You can treat them by dipping the legs in vegetable a couple or three times about a week apart. OR You can put ivomec pour on on them. I did both. No egg withdrawal. You can dust the coop and nests with seven.
sharon

 

[thefishery]

Quote:
Ooooh Seven! I forgot about that stuff!
I thought Ivomec did have an egg withdraw

Will Seven in the coop/run prevent it from happening again?

 

[welasharon]

The Eprinex Ivomec pour on doesn't. This is going by the no withdrawal statement from the package and understanding that this is a cattle product and by the general consensus on here!
sharon

and that should have read vegetable oil
yes that should help somewhat with prevention. I did some rescue work with chickens with leg mites and after seeing that I am routinely dipping mine in vegetable oil every six months just as a precaution.

 

[thefishery]

Quote:
Thank you so much. I guess I'll try the vegetable oil since it sounds much cleaner than vasoline. I'll have to start a routine for a vegetable oil dip prevention every so often.

 

[welasharon]

I took a margarine container and put the oil in it then dipped the feet and put them back on the roost. Added benefit: the oil ran onto the roosts and helped to smother any mites that were in the cracks. I had to do about 50. You get pretty quick at it but it helps to have someone hold the oil.
sharon

 

[debilorrah]

Regular dustings of DE also works. We have a HUGE coop and just treated every last bird for leg mites. Clip wings, dip in a bucket of DE. NEXT!

 

[thefishery]

Quote:
Sounds like I need a couple of hands for this to work in a factory line setting. Now I know why I had so many kids

LOL