I think they have some kind of leg trouble the legs look ruff. I heard it is some kind of bugs that bed under the scales of there legs. What can I do for them to rid of it.
"COURAGE is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. -John Wayne"
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts
Posted - Aug 21 2011 : 9:35:20 PM
he. diamataciuos earth.. i cant spell it. your rub it on their legs. put in nest boxes to kill mites and lice. where they take their dust bath put it in. do not breath it. its fine like baby powder. get the pure. no clay in it. just d.e. they also get it here in food stuff. i add it to ripe peaches etc. it worms their insides. we use it for cows, dogs all stock. it should help quickly. the stuff is fossil shells of a crustacion again spelling. it is jagged sharp like sae blades. it cuts the parasites and or larvae up. they die. hope this helps. very natural way to do it. cheap safe non toxic to all happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm farm girl #1014
you or should I say the chickens have leg mites...these mites get up under the scales & bite & eat the dead skin while causing the scales to pop out...to rid them you need either: cooking oil(any kind), vaseline or lard...you need to dip the legs all the way up to the feathered area if using oil....for the harder based items you need to rub it into the legs/scales so that all of it is covered....both are very messy...the oil is really messy...I use a marigold/lard salve I made that I put into the legs & then coat it heavily....now know these are different from the other mites that like the skin & freathers so D earth will not work for them...you have to sufficate these bad bugs....& you will have to do all the chickens since even the ones that don't look like they have leg mites will but not to the extent that you see moved scales....you will need to repeat this at least every 3 days...wipe down the old stuff & nasty stuff that is stuck to it but don't wash it off...I use old pieces of sheet rags that I can throw away when done....it may take up to 2 weeks or more for you to see a noticable change...some scales will never go back down but you will see some have & others may have fallen off...this is good as it means that scale was dead but do not expect to see new scales grow sometimes the mites have killed all the tissue in that area so there may be empty areas where you can see the leg skin....
Even if you don't have leg mites I recommend you do this twice yearly as a precaution...I do it before winter in the late fall & then in the spring after the hens have been in the coop more because of the snow....when I do this as a precaution I only do it twice.....once then in 3 days do it again.
now just so you know it can hurt them if they get a massive amount as they actually bite into the skin, cause some bleeding which can get infected...then you have a crippled hen....
I am planning to make some more marigold salve that if the birds eat will not hurt them so if you would like some for later use just email me & when I make it I will do some for you....just so you know its antibiotical, good for any animal or persons minor wounds as well....it also helps with minor scarring...its a old turn of the 20th century recipe that has no additives & you can keep it either out or in the frig.....good luck & do this as soon as you can so the mites can't winter over in the coop jumping from hen to hen....Michele'
MY chicken legs
Posted - Aug 21 2011 : 8:32:41 PM
