Scaly leg mites, does this mean infestation?

[guest226]

Hello. One of my hens has has scaly leg mites for a long time. She became pretty inactive. For many years she had had missing butt feathers. I never thought that mites could cause these and I thought since she was a buff cochin her feet always looked like that.

They have sand in their roost and I mix in diatomaceous earth into the sand. I replace their nesting material often and also sometimes sprinkle it too. I clean the poop from the sand daily.

None of my other hens have scaly leg mites but one of my hens began pulling out her feathers. She is not in stressful condition and is laying eggs.

Should I clean my entire coop or am I fine just cleaning the roost out??

 

[guest226]

Hello. One of my hens has has scaly leg mites for a long time. She became pretty inactive. For many years she had had missing butt feathers. I never thought that mites could cause these and I thought since she was a buff cochin her feet always looked like that.

They have sand in their roost and I mix in diatomaceous earth into the sand. I replace their nesting material often and also sometimes sprinkle it too. I clean the poop from the sand daily.

None of my other hens have scaly leg mites but one of my hens began pulling out her feathers. She is not in stressful condition and is laying eggs.

Should I clean my entire coop or am I fine just cleaning the roost out?

Here is the hen that definitely has it

And then hen I suspect might have it but less severe. Her legs are dusted with DE

 

[Wyorp Rock]

As mentioned on your other thread, just keep up with applying the oil/vaseline to her legs a couple of times a week for several weeks. The scales will slough off naturally. With a feather footed hen, the scales may be automatically raised slightly.

The other hen, it won't hurt to apply your oil/vaseline to the legs if you wish.

As for roosting/housing/coop, you can spray it with Permethrin spray to help kill any mites/lice. SLM may only be on one bird, but it's possible for them to slowly spread throughout the flock.

Loss of feathers around the vent, can be due to parasites, but it's often another hen picking/plucking out those feathers.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...li-infection-knowledge.1621427/#post-27701972

Do you have photos of her legs?

I would not wrap the legs, it's not necessary, just clean the legs as needed an apply the vaseline a couple of times a week working it up under the scales.

It can take time to smother all the mites, but it will take even longer for the scales to slough off and heal up/be replaced.

I would not intentionally pull any scales off. When you wash the legs, if debris comes off that's fine, but you may cause some damage if you try taking them off. Let them fall off naturally.

Just apply your oil/vaseline regularly, it will smother the mites. The dirt will wear off, it's fine. I wouldn't worry about her eating the oil/vaseline, usually they won't and if she did take a taste, there's not enough to hurt her.