Weird scaly build up on silkies legs??!

[CocoPopz]

I've recently been on holiday for 2 week, my friend has just been feeding/watering/locking up my small flock, they are free range chickens and have acres of land to run around on with my horses, my due to the wet winter my fields have been muddy, my 2 silkie hens went broody a week before my holiday and are still broody, they have lost a lot of weight but apparently this is normal when they're broody, they barely ever come off the nest to eat/drink...they don't even have eggs under them, anyway I pulled them out the nest box to do a quick health check, I do this every so often on all my chickens, and I noticed they have a thick build up of white scaly thing, not sure how to describe it, and both my silkie hens had this, none of my other chickens, I'm wondering if it's because I've not cleaned out my nest boxes or shed for a bit due to holidays and weather-.- I feel bad encase it's my fault! What do I do? How do I get rid of it? What is it? What's the best stuff to use on the floor in my shed and nest boxes? I need a lot of help and advise about anything and everything please, I'm kinda new at chickens! I tried to take a good photo but she was going crazy!

 

[aoxa]

That is scaly leg mites.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/33903/scaly-leg-mites-need-best-easiest-quickest-solution-scaley

I have tried a few different methods, and found PAM the easiest to apply and the least messy. First soak in epsom salt water to loosen the scales and spray with PAM to kill the mites. Two days later, soak again in nice and warm epsom salt bath. The epsom salt helps get the scales to fall off. The PAM kills the mites by suffocating them. Olive oil, butter, coconut oil or anything that can coat the legs (even Vaseline!) will work.

 

[CocoPopz]

So basically shall I clean my whole shed and nest boxes and sterilise.., bath my two affect hens in that salt water every other day, I have Vaseline where my chickens are kept so I could just rub that on their legs every day? Should I treat all my chickens? Also can I ask what you keep your hens on in the shed? Also any tips to stop them being broody? Thanks x

 

[aoxa]

So basically shall I clean my whole shed and nest boxes and sterilise.., bath my two affect hens in that salt water every other day, I have Vaseline where my chickens are kept so I could just rub that on their legs every day? Should I treat all my chickens? Also can I ask what you keep your hens on in the shed? Also any tips to stop them being broody? Thanks x

Hay and straw are not a good idea when you have scaly legs.. Try shavings, and rub the roosts down with neem oil if you can. That helps keep them off the roost, which is where most of the scaly legs are picked up.

IT takes a long time to get as bad as your hen. It's not something that happens overnight.

Scaly leg mites are probably the easiest external parasite to kill. It does take a while for the scales to slough off because the debris from the mites is left under the scales, but the birds are no longer being fed off of at least.

 

[CocoPopz]

Okay thank you, so should I use shavings in my nest box too? I currently have shavings in the shed, and straw in the nest boxes...thank you for your help

 

[aoxa]

Okay thank you, so should I use shavings in my nest box too? I currently have shavings in the shed, and straw in the nest boxes...thank you for your help

Yes, remove the straw. It is hollow and a good place for mites to hide out.

I have seen mites come in with hay and straw. Yuck! :S

 

[CocoPopz]

Oh dear, I'm wondering if that's how I got them because I've recently added straw to my shed before my holiday but not fully cleaned and now this-.- thanks