I noticed my chickens feet are getting really sick looking. The older ones always seemed to get sort of scaley, But this goes beyond anything I have ever seen on them. They seem to be sort of swollen and some may be bleeding a little. Is this some sort of bug that I can't see? The weather around here has been cold for these parts but I don't think this would be the cause. I don't see anything on them. Is there something I could put on them?

These are a mixture of banties and cochins.

-- Bonnie (josabo1@juno.com), December 20, 2000

Answers

Well if it hasn't been too cold there then it might be some sort of mites. Make sure they have a good place to take a dust bath. In the meantime get some seven dust and put it in a porous cloth and hold the corners together to make a good duster. Take the chickens and dust under their feathers real good and dust their feet too. Also dust all over their coop, in the nest boxes and on their roosts real good. This ought to take care of the mite problem.

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), December 20, 2000.

I agree with Amanda.Sounds like scale mites to me.We mix Sevin or Malathion with motor oil and dip the feet and legs.The oil keeps the mix on long enough to kill the mites.In a case as bad as you describe it will take several applications a few days apart.We tried everything "organic" we could think of before resorting to chemicals. Nothing worked.It's kind of like all the useless ways suggested to kill fireants.Some things make them move.Nothing like boiling water etc kills them.Time to reach for the Amdro!

-- JT Sessions (gone2seed@hotmail.com), December 20, 2000.

JT, How did you make the mix? How much of each? and did you just dip their feet and legs into the stuff. Did you paint the roost withit? How do you get rid of them on there?I probably could take the roost out and burn them, but that would be a real pain to put new onew back in. I know because I put the old ones in. But if it is NECESSARY I will. Let me know. Thanks

-- Bonnie (josabo1@juno.com), December 21, 2000.

Sounds like scaly leg mites. Does it look anything like this:

http://www.cyborganic.com/People/feathersite/Poultry/Health/Dis/scaly.html

I feed food grade Diatomaceous Earth and also sprinkle it in the pens. Consequently, the chooks have never had mites nor scaly leg mites.

Giving the chooks an area to dust bathe in the DE would help get rid of them. Some give Ivomec (cattle dewormer) orally.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), December 21, 2000.

I didn't have any Ivomec cattle dewormer and didn't like the $50 or so price tag on the bottle. But I did have some Equimectrin (ivermectin) for horses. Just did the dosage calculation and stuffed a tiny gob into the mouth of each affected chicken. Cleared up in a couple of weeks.

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), December 21, 2000.

My one experience with this came when I 'imported' some birds. Dipping the legs in kerosene (in a mason jar)worked well. One dip and I never had the problem again.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), December 21, 2000.

The chapter "Controlling Diseases and Parasites" in Poultry Production suggests a mixture of one part keroscene and two parts raw linseed oil. Does not give an interval though. It also says the roost need to be disinfected as well. For roost, you might consider using 2" PVC pipe with a stair rail rod inside it for support. That way scaly-leg mites would not have a place to hide. If the chickens cannot get a grip, the pipe might be wrapped with duct tape.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), December 24, 2000.