Re: Lame chicken - advice please ? Scaly Leg Mite!!!

OmManiPadmeOmelet <Omelet@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Scaly leg mites in chickens can cause lameness. Scaly leg mites bore
> under the scales on the legs of the chicken. The scales enlarge, get
> rough and become infected. If not treated early the bird may go lame. To
> treat, soak the bird's legs in an oil or cream to suffocate the mites.
> Treat every 3 to 4 days for 2 weeks. The old scales will then fall off
> over time and be replaced with new scales.

Works a treat.
I've treated my neighbour's five chickens that way (I used vaseline, but
I suppose with feathered feet something like sunflower oil would be
easier to use).
Two of them had it so badly that parts of their toes had already fallen
off, it was the worst infection I've ever seen. The cockerel's spurs
were invisible, so thickly were his legs covered in scales. Horrible.
However, one little bantie didn't seem to be affected at all! Of course
I treated all of them.

Repeating every 4 days did the trick. I had used vaseline on mine
before, but only once or twice, and it always came back until I was told
the schedule you mentioned, and followed it strictly. In fact, I
repeated it five times every four or five days, which means my treatment
lasted about three weeks.

One tale that is often told is that hens get it as they get older, but
in my flock only some of the pullets had the scales, and the old hens
didn't. They may have carried the mites, though. No new bird enters (or
re-enters, e.g. after a show) my coop without a quarantine and repeated
checks for lice, and a routine vaseline treatment. (learned that the
hard way)

what makes you think the sparrows give it to the hens?

Nuele (D)
.

Loading