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Post by chickita on Dec 15, 2009 14:25:08 GMT 8
Hi everyone, I have two young hens that i suspect may have scaly leg mites. First up is "Yang" australorp i have noticed over the last couple of days that her foot joint (don't know the official term) looked swollen and sort of looks like some scales are slightly lifted. here are some pictures. this one you can see how swollen the right hand one looks even more so than the left. and this next one is "Ying" hers is not swollen much but more lifting on the scales. is this scaly leg?? if so do these parasites only live on the chooks and not in their housing, and what will kill these pests- and i mean kill them so i don't keep having a problem. any and all info and comments appreciated. Thanks
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Post by luv4ducks on Dec 15, 2009 14:52:37 GMT 8
Hi Chikita, you're right to suspect scalel leg mite, althoug you'rs are pretty minor at this stage. I had it a while ago come in on a chook that was given to me, and this particular hen had actually lost a toe due to the extremity of the problem. I've only ever dealt with it once before, but I'm pretty sure that it lives on the bird and the environment (but don't quote me, someone might have a better understanding than me) Treatment is fast and simple, smother the leg right up to the feathers in vasoline, and i mean cake it on, this will suffocate the little bugger and it will die, do this for about 2-3 days, and then repeat in about 2 weeks just to be sure. the lose scales will fall off and re grow at the next molt. Goodluck
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Post by chickita on Dec 15, 2009 16:11:36 GMT 8
Thanks so much luv4ducks, now i have to go buy a large tub of vasoline-i have some here but not enuff. Would i do all the chooks? or just the ones showing signs? i'm sure the roo and a few of the hens dont have it or is it just safer to do them all?
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Post by chickita on Dec 15, 2009 16:13:23 GMT 8
also would i do the pekin's the same-with the fluffy legs and all?
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Post by beck on Dec 15, 2009 17:11:44 GMT 8
Hi chickita i don't know if anyone else does this but my neighbour dips the legs of the chooks in a jar of sump oil he keeps for just this problem !! he just gets the chook and dips it right up to the feathers .. It looks really messy and the leave little foot print everywhere but it seems to do the job and just repeat it for a few weeks really easy but just messy
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Post by chickita on Dec 15, 2009 17:29:36 GMT 8
thats a great idea too Beck thanks, with the pekin's i cant even see there leg scales-so i dont know if they have them- anyone with fluffy legged chooks know how to tell if they have them? so i just treat the ones with scalele or the whole flock?
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Post by ashley on Dec 15, 2009 20:37:39 GMT 8
When I was a kid my Mum always used a can of spray on cooking oil to treat leg mites, but it used to take a few applications to get rid of them. Vasoline sounds like a better idea, much thicker and stickier.
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Post by luv4ducks on Dec 16, 2009 8:48:22 GMT 8
I would probably do the whole flock, I had pekins too, they are a little more difficult to get the vasoline on, but if you start on the inside of the leg, you'll be able to see where the vasoline is going, it's a messy job, but once you have done one it does become easier, good luck, I hope that you're chooks are ok
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Post by chickita on Dec 16, 2009 9:58:23 GMT 8
Thanks again Luv4ducks i will be getting some more vasoline today, so probly this week end when i have some time off work ill get stuck into it, i can see its gonna be a pain to do the pekin's but oh well its got to be done-i would have no clue if they had it as i cant see their legs at all-but ill do them anyway too. I'm thinking of seperating the two that really have it from the others, then ill do the whole flock-it might help to at least contain it to just the two that have it. but i will be doing the whole flock. i think i need to just knock down the whole old pen and build new ones that have more pest resistance-aia cant stand the pen they have its good for the animals but pests love the place. Now to get OH to agree hhhmmm i think ill be waiting a long time haha. Thanks again everyone-ill let you all know how we go.
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Post by fluffychook on Dec 16, 2009 16:17:32 GMT 8
Another alternative is to use an all purpose parasite treatment like moxidexin plus. This treats all blood sucking parasite both internal and external. Do remember that even though the little blighters have been eradicated the chook needs to moult before the legs will look more normal.
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Post by luv4ducks on Dec 17, 2009 9:42:07 GMT 8
Fluffychook makes a good point, it certainly is alot less messy, I'm not sure if you would be able to get it close by to you at all. The only real downside is that unfortunately these mite come in on wild birds, so if you're birds free range or if wild birds can get into the area where you house your chooks, unfortunately you will come across this problem again, I use the Ivomec pour on for cattle, but the moxidectin will do a great job too, it's just a matter of what you can get in your area
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Post by chickita on Dec 17, 2009 10:14:53 GMT 8
hey thanks Fluffychook and Luv4ducks that sounds like an even better way to go, i might ring my vet and see if i can get hold of some there, i should be able to. YAY less messy i was dreading having to do them all i could see i was going to get covered in vasoline my self.
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Post by ikbokchook on Dec 17, 2009 13:07:28 GMT 8
Hey chickita! I am having an awful problem with scaly leg mites this year. I have tried the vasoline thing (even added a bit of eucalyptus oil - heard somewhere that was supposed to help too) but with limited success! I have quite a few chooks at the moment and it took ages and boy was it messy! Then you have to go back and do it again! I'm also going to try moxidectin so would love to know how your chookies go with it. luv4ducks, I am constantly having doves, 28's, galahs among other things visiting my chooks, and never realised that they bring the little buggers! Thought maybe I had bought an infected chook somewhere along the line! I'd also like to know if it is preferable to treat the environment also, if so - with what? I sprinkle grays poultry dust powder around when I change the bedding (every 4 months or so) - is this enough? Thanks
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Post by chickita on Dec 17, 2009 13:17:06 GMT 8
wild birds cant realy get into their pen (well big ones cant anyway), but i do freerange them so thats possible. yes ill let everyone know how i go with getting it fixed. yes annie thats a good question about treating the enviroment they live in, other wise im going to get rid of the pen i have now and build a new one, the one i have now doesnt seem to help with pests they love the coop.
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Post by fluffychook on Dec 17, 2009 14:32:01 GMT 8
I currently use the cattle pour on Ivomec and that is easily available from the net. I have heard that the moxidectin plus is available from the Wattle Grove vet hospital. It is also available from the Knox bird clinic in NSW.
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