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Author Topic: Scaly leg mite  (Read 5289 times)

Dreich Pete

  • Joined Jan 2014
  • Aberdeenshire
Scaly leg mite
« on: April 13, 2014, 08:15:49 am »
Our helpful, and chicken experienced, neighbour identified the possible early stage of scaly leg and gave us (or rather, the hens) some Harker-mectin (ivermectin) to treat it, but I think this morning one of the hens looks like the scales are starting to lift, although the toes don't look any redder.

Does the treatment take a while to take effect or has it not done the job? Could this be affecting their eating habits as mentioned on another thread (only eating from hand, not bowl)?

I know Harker's is stated as being fro pigeons but it's the same stuff and my neighbour is quite well versed in hen care so I do trust her judgment.

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Scaly leg mite
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2014, 10:20:25 am »
did you get the dose right? also new scales won't appear until the moult so the old ones may come away in the meantime-scales remain infectious for about a month so in order to really get on top of it, does them again later on. Might also be worth dunking all their legs in liquid paraffin or working in vaseline to help prevent reinfection. scaly leg can be a bugger to get on top of. don't forget the egg withdrawal for ivermectin as well.

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Scaly leg mite
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2014, 10:25:58 am »
Yes check egg withdrawl period.

You can treat by soaking hens legs in warm soapy water ...... 10 minutes or so if you can. Then smother legs in Vaseline. Repeat every few days for a couple of weeks. We treated a hen given to us in this way. Her legs were BAD. It was very effective. It is contagious. I would coat all their legs with Vaseline even if they look okay. Better to stop it now.

You can still eat the eggs this way and no nasty chemicals on you or your birds  ;D

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Scaly leg mite
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2014, 12:48:21 pm »
Two other treatments not requiring egg withdrawal. Benzyl Benzoate solution, which is the same as treats scabies in humans, brushed up under the scales. Vegetable oil, Olive, sunflower or the like, which they are stood in for 5 minutes, which suffocates the mites. Both treatments require the feet to be clean and dry and both may require repeating.


We don't use Ivermectin at all for anything.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Scaly leg mite
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2014, 02:02:40 pm »
I believe white spirit does the job, too.

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Scaly leg mite
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2014, 02:46:37 pm »
I believe white spirit does the job, too.


would that not sting? I tried all the topical stuff-it didnt really get on top of it although the environment there was to blame. ivermectin is a useful drug-just don't eat the meat of anything treated by it and get advice as to egg withdrawal-especially if you sell/give eggs away. its actually prescribed to people elsewhere in the world to treat scabies, its just here that its not licenced for poultry.

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Scaly leg mite
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2014, 03:14:57 pm »
I bet it would Lord Flynn. Also heard of someone treating Scaley leg with WD40. Apparently the hen screamed and kept screaming until she had washed it all off with soap and water.

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
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Re: Scaly leg mite
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2014, 04:27:35 pm »
I use Vaseline and spread diatom earth everywhere - absolutely everywhere. That reminds me I have run out - need more!
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
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Re: Scaly leg mite
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2014, 07:18:50 pm »
we treated it successfully with sudocrem of all things!  our goldline has beautiful, scale free legs now (well as scaly as a chickens legs should be anyway...)
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

landroverroy

  • Joined Oct 2010
Re: Scaly leg mite
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2014, 08:44:12 pm »
The ivermectin will definitely do the job, but the scales won't regrow immediately.
Don't get too paranoic about the withdrawal period either. If you applied the tiny amount given to a hen, to your own skin it wouldn't hurt you. If you then extrapolate how much is going to be in an egg, it would be negligible.
Obviously to be politically correct, you probably wouldn't sell them within the withdrawal period, but for your own use they would be fine.
Rules are made:
  for the guidance of wise men
  and the obedience of fools.

Dreich Pete

  • Joined Jan 2014
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Scaly leg mite
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2014, 08:58:03 pm »
I gather the not eating the eggs for a week after Ivermectin treatment is considered optional by many people. We don't have that decision right now as they have all stopped laying for two days.

 

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