wee chookie Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Orpie's foot has swollen up in the last couple of days and i suspect it is still scaly leg. i smothered her foot and leg with vaseline yesterday and it is really swollen now plus the other foot looks unhappy. My husband conviced me that i was overreacting before but i can now clearly see that there is an infection. she has black legs and feet and it was hard to tell before. oh i am freaking out because i have read so many things on how to treat it. i need to know what works best. i thought i would try frontline drops and continue the vaseline rubs, that way i can treat all six chickens at once so the bugs don't hop hosts. a couple of my chooks don't like to be handled too much so i don't want to freaking them out by washing down their legs. oh i feel like greetin. how rubbish am i, my poor chooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Is it the bottom of her foot? If so it sounds more like Bumblefoot than scaley leg mite. Does it look more like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee chookie Posted August 4, 2008 Author Share Posted August 4, 2008 hi, i did consider that too but it's not under her foot and there aren't any scabs.her scales are pretty sticky out too. it is just around her ankle and above. i have also discovered that our coop is crawling with red mite so happy day for me. it's wooden and it is going to be hard to remove them all. arghhhhhhhh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Oh dear, you really are going through it! Can you take a picture of her foot? My girls have had scaley leg before, so it's easy to diagnose, it could just be an infection though or something transmitted by the red mite. If you're troubled with mites and biting thingies, the best thing for it is Ivomec Eprinex - it's not licenced for use on poultry in the UK, but it works wonders. When one of mine has had scaley leg in the past, a quick dose of this and some Johnson's anti-mite spray topically works wonders. Please don't rub or pick at the scales though - they will moult off in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee chookie Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 i thought it couldn't get any worse....then i found the lice ....and today Bridie is sneezing and there is red stuff coming out of one her nostrils (or whatever the chicken equivalent is!). i spoke to my vet yesterday and she has prescribed them with Frontline Combi which we will put on them tonight. i have never seen a bug on them before and all this happens at once, i am despairing. i obviously didn't look hard enough. re; scaly leg it looks the same as your snaps only worse as the scales are sticking up more. the vaseline seems to be helping a bit though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee chookie Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 i also gutted their coop yesterday and doused it with mite and louse powder so maybe that is affecting bridie's nostrils?? i have revamped their dust bath and put it more mite and louse powder. my goldfish died last night so ......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Talk about it all happening at once!! Vaseline or oil on her legs will help to suffocate the mites and stop her legs from itching. The scales will remain raised until they moult off, but you will lose that exude under the scales that is caused by the mites. They catch these lice and mites from wild birds, unfortunately, the roofing on a wooden coop is ideal for the mitse to hibernate in. I'd recommend dousing it in Poultry Shield (if you haven't already) and re-roofing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee chookie Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 you know i can see all those little bugs looking at me in the cracks of the coop. this is the downside of a wooden coop you can't scrub it completely free. i hadn't thought about the roof.....oh the horror of it all! They are dusting everywhere except the dustbath... i will continue with the vaseline leg rubs, i have no urge to peel away scales so don't worry. thanks for your advice too. i'm not a squeemish person but these bugs have pushed me to my limits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Xeno 200 **not licensed for poultry in UK will treat it. (There is an egg withdrawal period.) So will Benzyl benzoate. You will get odd looks when you ask for it at the chemist as it is used to treat scabies in humans. Wear gloves when applying.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ's Chooks Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Xeno 200 has been recently licenced according to my vet a couple of months ago, and has worked fine for our girls. Its not cheap from the vet, but seems to do the trick if you use it 3x 2weeks appart to break the cycle of the little nasties. Then you can use it once every few months as a preventative. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 It is usually cheaper online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Sorry to hear about all your troubles, wee chookie . You're having a rough time . Can't offer advice I'm afraid, just wanted to say I hope you get it all cleared up soon . (Then you can start looking on Ebay for a nice eglu!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee chookie Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 Thanks for the support! it is horrible just now. My husband wants to rehome the ladies because i am driving him mental talking about them. the coop is really freaking me out, i am itchiing constantly. I have frontlined and wormed the chooks. Orpie's foot is still swollen but the scales are starting to fall off. Poor bird she had such lovely wee feet. Bridie sounds really congested. and they are all sporting bald patches where the i put the Frontline on. must be strong stuff. Does anyone know how long it takes for red mite and bugs to die off? i can still see them crawling in the coop. Orpie's foot is still a worry, if it is Bumblefoot how do i treat it? is it an external parasite? Would Frontline be enough to cover that too? Sorry for all the questions. i am so down with all of this now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 If it is Bumblefoot it needs antiboitics and a trip to the vet I'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cam1 Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Just wanted to say sorry you are having such a hard time, have not any knowledge to help but hope you sort it soon and all your chooks return to good health quickly. cam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee chookie Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 Just been to oil rub Orpie's legs and give her feet another once over. There is a small cut or sore tucked in bewtween the pads. Looks like bumblefoot is another thing to hit. i must have missed this the other day. i am so blinkin cross with myself now. it isn't causing her any problems but the fact her foot is swollen is a big worry. will i need to treat all six chooks? i have them over a year and not the slightest problem. i think this is the worst week i have ever had, it's going from bad to worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 You will only need to treat the one affected if it is Bumblefoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee chookie Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Sorry it's all so rotten for you just now . If it helps, you can talk about your girlies all you like on here so your OH won't complain . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee chookie Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 First it started with Scaly leg and then red mite, lice and a possible bumblefoot and now it is ending with the ladies being rehomed. Hubbie found someone who wants to take them all on sunday. I know they are going to go to a good home but i am heartbroken. i think my nose bleed yesterday was the last straw. all i can think about is chickens. So this is my last post for now. in the meantime i am going to work hard and save for an eglu for easy bug management. Thanks for all the advice and support, the bugs just got too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 That is so wee chookie, won't your OH back down if you get an eglu? It sounds like you have a really bad infestation I'd ditch the wooden housing if I were you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee chookie Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 Sadly i can't afford one right now and you are quite right about the coop, i think it needs burning! inside its rough layered wood which just provides the right hiding spaces. its amazing it hasn't happened before now, it would be impossible to completely rid it of bugs because they can live up to 36 weeks without chickens to feed on. so it only means two more nights for the ladies to put up with the beasties. the woman who is taking them knows about all the problmes i have had and is very experienced so she is happy to deal with all it as well. i haven't broke the news to the ladies yet though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
