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Chicken Scaly leg mites #473122

Asked July 24, 2018, 8:39 PM EDT

I noticed one of my hens had curved claws a few weeks ago.  She started having leg wounds and I saw her picking at her legs.  I was looking up picking on the internet and found reference to scaly leg mites.  I've attached pictures of her feet.  We dipped the feet in oil and spread petroleum jelly on her legs and feet.  Do you think the pictures are of scaly egg mites?  Is there a better treatment?  Is there anything I can do to sanitize the run and coop?  Thanks!  

Larimer County Colorado

Expert Response

Since you have already tried oils & petroleum jelly, you might try Ivermectin.
Give it orally or topically in 3 doses at 0.2 mg/kg of body weight, once every two weeks. Two weeks after the first treatment, the scales should be sloughing off, and by the third treatment, new scales should have grown in.
Hopefully, this will work.

How should you prevent this:

1) Try sprinkling DE all over the coop and on your birds on a regular basis is never a bad thing. It is all natural and will just keep pests away. Also, it is very inexpensive to purchase in most stores. You don’t have to go with the food grade option, though many do.

2) Parasites do not like the taste of garlic or apple cider vinegar. That is why I always include it in their water. It boosts my chickens’ immune systems while also lowering their chances of being infested by mites.

3) Make a dust bath area. Every chicken loves to bathe in dust. So if you could give them a specific location in the coop (like inside an old tire) where it is filled with dirt, DE, and some wood ash, then you are giving your birds a great chance at killing off any mites that might be trying to live on them.

See if this will help prevent the mites.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 25, 2018, 2:31 PM EDT

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