Parasites: Scaly Leg Mites

Parasites: Scaly Leg Mites 

                Every chicken is susceptible to parasites.  The worst one in my opinion is the scaly leg mites. It’s important to know what these little creatures are, where they come from, what they do and how to get rid of them.  I’m going to tell you what a mite is and what they do and then I’m going to tell you from my experience, the best way to get rid of them.

 

                                              Healthy legs photo from The Chicken Chick 

                                                                at http://www.the-chicken-chick.com

Scaly leg mites are tiny and unlikely seen without magnification. They’re in the environment and picked up by chickens as they scratch the ground.  Once on the chicken, the mites burrow under the scales on the chickens legs.  While your chickens are joyfully foraging for food, the mites are securely tucked away under the scales enjoying a buffet of leg tissue. It can takes months before you notice their existence. By this time they’ve reproduced and your chicken’s smooth legs are now covered with raised, crusty scales. If left untreated, mites will cause pain and stress to your chicken which will decrease egg production and let’s face it, that’s why we have chickens, right?  If they’re left untreated for a long time, the mites will cause severe deformities to the chickens toes and legs.  I have read in the Backyardchicken forums where untreated scaly leg mites were the cause of missing toes.  I don’t doubt that one bit, these little guys are nasty!

 

                                           This is what a bad case of scaly leg mites can do to a chicken.

                                                   Photo courtesy of  Fowlvisions at http://www.fowlvisions.com

Now, what do you do that you’ve seen raised, crusty scales? First of all you’re not a bad chicken parent. It’s nothing you did wrong but it is something you need to address quickly before it spreads through your coop. There are so many different ways according to the internet that you can get rid of these.  Old timers will say things like kerosene and used motor oil work. Some people say to use linseed oil or WD-40. I’ve read about soaking their feed and scrubbing them and covering in petroleum jelly and I’ve done that. I’ve also done the WD-40. None of those worked. Besides, it’s something you have to do every single night. I need something a little simpler.  There is a product made just for scaly leg mites but I’m all about use what you’ve got and I’ve never spent the extra money to see if it actually works or not.  So are you ready for the secret concoction? It’s Seven Dust and petroleum jelly, simple and already on hand around here.

                                                               To prepare for the treatment get your supplies handy

Supplies:              Bucket of warm soapy water

                                Old tooth brush

                                Towel

                                Petroleum Jelly                

                                Seven

                                Surgical gloves

              

            First you want to soak your chicken’s feet. Use the toothbrush to brush up under the scales. This cleans their legs and softens the scales making the application of the petroleum and Seven dust easier.  Dry the legs put on your gloves and mix the Seven into the petroleum jelly. Before you start to apply the jelly, sprinkle Seven on the legs. Now apply the jelly and Seven mixture making sure to push it up under all the scales. Get in good between the toes, around the nail and on the bottom of the foot. Use care to keep it out of the feathers. If you get this in the feathers, it can mat them together and cause the chicken to catch a chill and that could kill them.  After chasing down your chickens all day and working so hard on this, the last thing you want to do is kill them.  

                You’ll want to repeat this in one week for 3 weeks. By then you should see significant improvement. Keep these birds separated from the rest during treatment, unless you’re treating your entire flock. During treatment you may notice scales coming off the feet and legs. This is normal and they will not grow back.  They will always be susceptible for future infestations so keep a watchful eye. You’ll also want to clean the coop completely getting rid of old bedding materials and putting in new. This includes the nest box materials. You can also sprinkle Seven through the coop.

Dusting your chickens with Seven will also kill any other parasites that may be feeding on their bodies.