[17AndCounting]

We were given a cockeral last night, he's a lovely looking lad BUT I thought his feet were muddy but today in good light I realised he's got quite some case of scaly leg mites! I tried to take a photo but failed. Basically his lower legs are huge, white, crusty...

I've looked in my books and on the web and there seems several ways of dealing with this.

He doesn't like being handled and being new to us he's very wary.

I'm interested to know tried and tested ways of treating him please.

[zarzar]

we brought some from auction with it we used a scaly leg spray then covered legs in vasaline to suffercate mites, but the scales stay lifted and look awful untill they next moult.

[devonlad]

we have a couple of hens who seem particularly vulnerable to it whilst the rest never seem to get it. We smother in vaseline to suffocate the little suckers which seems to ease it for a while. A vet once suggested a couple of squirts of frontline which we did try once- didnt seem to make much difference though

[lord flynn]

ivermectin spot on and dunk legs in benzyl benzoate/liquid parafin for 30s each weekly for 3 weeks. If its really bad repeat ivermectin in 3 weeks (breaks mites life cycle). also, keep him confined-the mites on dropped scales remain live for a month. have battled with this for the last year in a couple of hybrids, ivermectin (from vet) knocked it on head immediately.

[in the hills]

We used a spray especially for scaley leg but found it had little effect.


We found the following worked really well. Soak legs in warm salty water and brush GENTLY with a soft brush. Then smother legs in vaseline. Repeat for a few days and then continue weekly with vaseline for a while.

[roddycm]

I use a mix of turps and linseed oil and spray it on the legs once a week for two or three weeks and have found this to be very effective!

[landroverroy]

In my experience, Ivermectin is the best as it will also get rid of  red mite (on the body) and lice externally, and internal worms. Because it's absorbed into the body it has a residual effect so will kill all the red mite present at any one time, but not necessarily the subsequent generations.I usually dilute it about 5x with water and apply with a syringe or dropping pipette. I put some drops around the head and comb, a few on the back, and some on the legs. It soaks in fairly well on the legs where they are most encrusted. 
Another old remedy is to soak the legs for a few minutes in a tin of paraffin or diesel.

[taz08]

i use  Diatomaceous earth in there sand bath and coop ,,  only got 1 hen here just now with scaly legs
and shes  bought in 2 weeks ago

[doganjo]

First catch your chicken.........................................

I have just discovered that three of my six hens have it - I've sprayed them with a scaly mite spray but not sure I got the right hens.  Might try again tonight when they come in to bed, and shove each one temporarily out the pophole as I do them.  The others will become progressively less easy to catch i suspect, but at least I'll get them all done, hopefully before my bedtime.

Just caught your post re Diatom TAZ08 - might try that too

[17AndCounting]

I went with a bit of a blended approach based on replies here and some other advice.

We soaked his legs in vegetable oil first (and I do mean soaked) and left him a few days.

Then we caught him again (easier said than done!) and applied a very generous and well rubbed in coat of vaseline. A few of the really large scales had already come off as a result of the vegetable oil, when I was rubbing the vaseline in some more came off (and that really turned my stomach).

He looks much better already, the white salty looking deposits have completely gone, and loads of the huge scales have fallen off now so you can see healthy looking legs underneath. He's due another 'treatment' shortly. He's moulting at the moment too so I'm hoping he'll get over it really quickly.

Thanks for all your comments.

[in the hills]

   Great


We were amazed at how quickly they improved with soaking and vaseline.