4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Henhathnofury]

I have a Speckled Sussex who is a big, greedy and cantankerous girl. She hates being handled, likes eating to the exclusion of others and also sitting down a lot. I was quite despairing of her personality. But just before I went on holiday, I noticed that her legs looked a tiny bit scaly. I asked my other half to look after her and treat it if it got worse. Now I have been back for a while and she did not want to be handled, but spent the time grumbling. Now sure it is scaly leg, I have today grapled with her, warm water,a toothbrush and some vaseline. The poor little darling - no wonder she was grumpy. It really upset me to think that I could let her aggression mask the fact that she was suffering. My other girls have always become very loving and needy when they are sick. Even with one application and probably the toothbrush action, she is so much calmer.

 

Any one else had experience with scaly leg? None of the others have it...

[Henhathnofury]

whoops forgot my signature..........

[Egluntyne]

Poor girl! Some **Xeno 200** will sort it out for her. *Not licensed for use on poultry in UK.

[Henhathnofury]

that 'not licensed' element always worries me, as I am reluctant to use chemicals if a more holistic method works as well. But thank you. No-one else will talk to me because I am a horrible chicken neglecter. (I don't need reminding, my poor girl gives me the evil eye every time I am in the garden...)

[*mummy_hen*]

I really wouldn't let it worry you - our specialist vets use mainly stuff that isn't licensed for chicken use because about the only thing that is is worming medication!!

 

They wouldn't suggest it if it was going to have any negative side effects on the hens.

 

Don't feel bad now, you have realised the problem and this can now be treated...she will soon forgive you

[LesleyH]

you are not a chicken neglecter - you are the opposite! you have done a super job of locating the issue! I have learned from vet experience that because chickens are worthless units of nothing (not to us lot of course - in a farming/financial value sense) that just because it is not liscenced does not mean it will not do the job. you will get more good advice off this forum than you can pay for by the top vets - they will admit they know almost nothing about chicken health/illness - because a sick chicken normally gets its neck wrung! believe me, you are a fabulous chicken mother - your girls are very lucky

[mostin]

My Light Sussex I adopted came to me with a terrible case of scaley leg. I treated it with Xeno 200 Not licensed for use on poultry in UK.

 

I know you've said you don't want to use that, I was just telling you you as it lead me onto what I did next. My girl is now left with very hard tough scales on her legs that bother her sometimes. Every so often, just as it has gone dark, I pull her out of the house, was her feet and legs and slather them in sudocreme. Because she goes straight to sleep when I put her back in the house, the cream has all night to soak in, and it really helps the old scales soften, and soothes their legs.

 

hope your girls feels better soon xxxxxxxxxxxx

[Janty]

My two cochins are recovering from an awful case of scaly leg mite. I tried everything but onlt the ivermectin from the vets worked. Don't worry about it...you are treating the problem and that makes you a good chicken keeper.

[Henhathnofury]

Thanks all. Will observe closely and treat accordingly, even if it does mean the chemical route.

 

It's strange but I have been struggling to love her, while being overwhelmed by love for the others. But today, as the big lump sat on my lap looking at me, hoping she could trust me, I absolutely fell in love with her and her sudden vulnerability....

 

So maybe it will bond us both.

[LesleyH]

that would be a good outcome. i really hope that you are bonded by the experience and that she is all better soon

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I felt just the same when I noticed Molly had it . I must admit I just dunked her leg in surgical spirit then slathered vaseline all over it (at bedtime so it didn't get all dirty). It seemed to work as her leg looked better very quickly.

[Valkyrie]

Sioux had it - still waiting for it to clear. Apache also had it, but not to such a great extent. Cheyenne's feet were totally clear??? Not sure what that was about. I did the surgical spirit, vaseline, then the Johnson's Anti Mite spray - which didn't seem to do much - Cheyenne also got the treatment as a precaution. Overall the vaseline seems to be the best thing, although it is a long process and DD and I do it every 4 days or so. At least Sioux doesn't tuck her foot up now and they have softer feet than my hands! It looks awful, but some of the scales look as though they are new-ish. The little ones will be getting vaselined next session as a precaution too. I blame the pigeons.

[Kirstine]

Our Daisy had such bad scaly leg she lost some toenails - we felt REALLY guilty because we didn't notice. She has feathered feet, never liked to be caught and slept with her brothers and sisters in a tree, so we only found out when she moved into the chicken house and refused to leave because she could hardly walk.

What worked for us was benzyl benzoate solution which you paint on with a brush. It is used for scabies in humans and although Boots no longer sell it because they say there are newer better treatments you can get it from old-fashioned chemists. We figured that if it was safe enough for people it would be OK for chickens! The BB and some TLC every week for a month (we also soaked her feet in warm water and clipped her toenails before the BB) did wonders, and towards the end of the treatment Daisy would even sit on the fridge, have a snack and chat to us, when she wouldn't come near us before!

[Henhathnofury]

She has now gone to the vet and been treated with cream for her legs and an anti-parasite drop on the back of the neck for the other three girls. The vet has said never to use SUDOCREAM (I was) but recommends vaselining her legs every evening before bed to soften up those scales.

 

She was very good for the vet and even obliged with a poo the size of Manhatten when he talked about taking a sample. What a star.

 

She does seem brighter and happier as if, at last - someone has noticed me!

 

It is awful though...you do blame yourself when you know that they must have been suffering.......

[Egluntyne]

She was very good for the vet and even obliged with a poo the size of Manhatten when he talked about taking a sample. What a star.

 

:lol:

[mostin]

The vet has said never to use SUDOCREAM (I was) but recommends vaselining her legs every evening before bed to soften up those scales.

...

 

Ooooooooops , I'm in trouble. I didn't have any vaseline, but had sudocreme, so that's what my girl got. Did he say why? Is it dangerous? I would never do anything to hurt my girlies. She does have very soft scales and feet now though .

[Henhathnofury]

Yes I was worried too - more guilt! But he said that the product was formulated for humans - not chickens. He was just being cautious. Vaseline is the stuff, so we shall be slathering her tonight. She is calmer now, my little girl - doesn't seem to be agitated, which must have been the itching. Hope she will have soft sexy legs like your girl, very shortly!

[mostin]

Oooh thank, phew, that eases my guilt a bit. I brought my girls down to the house each night and gave her legs and feet a wash and a scrub in a salt water bath, then coated her clean legs with cream and tucked her into bed. She was so much happier once the itching was soothed, it only took a couple of days. She grew to love her baths .