What's wrong with my Sick Chicken?? [Updated with Pics]

[CityBumpkin]

I've recently become a part-caretaker of two chickens, I call them Sick Chicken and Rizzo. I've grown extremely fond of Sick Chicken. There's something wrong with her leg - from what I'm reading, it could be scaly leg mites, but it is REALLY bad. I mean, her leg is twice the size of the other leg, and surely if it was mites her other leg would have them too? She can barely walk! I feel like no amount of Vaseline is going to fix this...

Does anybody know if it's still scaly leg mites if it's only on one leg and the other hen is absolutely fine? Could there be something else that looks like a crusty white growth on her leg?

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*UPDATE*


I'm going to spoil you with photos now because you guys are my only hope...

Here's Sick Chicken lying down:

Here's Sick Chicken's tree foot:

Here's Rizzo, looking happily healthy:

And a close-up of Sick Chicken's tree foot:

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!

 

[carrlr]

Sure sounds like scaly mites. Pictues would be nice. Do you have any vaseline? I've heard if you cover an area with scaly mites vaseline will smother them. I would make sure she is isolated and she's eating, drinking, and eliminating. Maybe someone else will help too.

 

[Judy]

Since there are only two and they've been together anyway, I would not separate them, except long enough to make sure the sick one is getting enough to eat and drink. I'd also put vaseline (or whatever) on the other one's legs as it's likely they both have some leg mites if one does.

I'd also consider worming them, and I'd treat the coop for lice/mites, and treat the birds a second time about 10 days after the first treatment, to kill eggs that have hatched by then.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=472405

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

Good luck!

 

[CityBumpkin]

Thanks for the replies, I'll take a photo tomorrow and post it up here so you can see for yourselves. It's pretty nasty though. She looks like her leg is turning into a small bonsai tree.

 

[CityBumpkin]

I've posted pics now so you can see how bad the problem is. Apart from the foot thing she seems happy enough - she's eating, drinking, and pooping. She's just weighed down with this business, poor girl... I looked in all the nooks and crannies and couldn't find anything that looked like lice or mites. I'm actually worried now that it's not mites, because if it's not mites I have no idea where to begin fixing her...

 

[NewHobbyForMe]

Only one of my girls had the same thing, scaly leg mites is what I think it is. I looked it up on this forum and was suggested to soak her foot and leg in warm soapy water, every day until it is all gone. After soaking while still in the water take a brush or old tooth brush and scrap off as much dead skin and scales as possible. Each day will help her since she really has a bad case of mites. Then after soaking for 15 or 20 minutes, put on as much vaseline as you can. I have 20 chickens and I only had one get this so I'm not sure why the others did not have it. Good luck to you and your girls.

 

[Pickaduck]

Aww.. poor Sick Chicken!!

I remembered a post where a lady rescued a chicken with really bad feet like Sick Chicken's. Here it is, if you are interested:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=294094&p=1