veg shortening and mites

[math ace]

So last night I am reading a "chicken" book and it says once a month I should put veg shortening on my chickens legs to prevent leg mites!

Wow, I think this sounds - GREASY, Time Consuming, and yuck.

THE QUESTION IS - - -

HOW MANY OF YOU OIL YOUR CHICKENS LEGS ON A MONTHLY BASIS?

IF you do it, but not monthly, how often do you do it ?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I only treat mine when I have something to treat. Mine have never had scaly leg mites so my answer to you is that I have never done it. If I had ever had an infestation my answer might be different.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I try and do it at least once a month but usually end up doing it 2 times a week being alot of my birds are of the feather footed variety.

 

[math ace]

Anybody else out there do preventative scaly leg mite treatments?

 

[NarleevilleClucks]

I've only had my chix since Easter but I have never greased up there leggs and will not unless they actually get some sort of mites...I do have my birds dust bathe in DE so they don't get mites and what not...so fat this has worked fine. Good luck with greasing your birds...sounds like a serious drag to me!

 

[math ace]

I was thinking the same thing and that is why I started this thread - - -

I have heard that this was a way to treat / kill scaly leg mites, BUT I had not heard to do it as a preventative measure every two weeks.

So, I am waiting to see how many BYC do this. I just can't imagine greasing their legs every two weeks.

 

[patandchickens]

To me the only point of doing it on a schedule would be if you have not worked hard enough to totally eliminate them from your flock, or from whatever circumstances your flock tends to be exposed to new sources of infection fairly frequently.

Haven't had them yet myself (er, my chickens either, I mean LOL), and don't expect to since the only chickens that enter this property are day-olds. I do check legs along with the rest of the bird, but til I see a problem I don't see any point in oiling anybody up

JMHO,

Pat

 

[scooter147]

I spray my chickens legs once a month with Adams Flea and Tick IG.
I had a terrible scaley leg mite problem about two years ago. I used this on the infected birds and roosts and it worked!!!
Now I treat as a preventative.

 

[math ace]

scooter,

That sounds better than the shortening thing

 

[Lollipop]

Truth is, any kind of oil will drown the little suckers. WD40 works well also, even used motor oil. The trick is to get them all and that`s why you repeat it at least once and maybe 3 or 4 times and oil the roost. Constant oiling is not needed.......Pop