Unsecure chicken perches

[johnandkymberley]

Petal has scaly leg, ive got 2 questions though

1. How much of vaseline do i put on and how often?

2. How long does it take to heal?

[The Dogmother]

I'd skip the Vaseline (it doesn't seem too effective)and spray their legs twice, a week apart with either the Johnson's Anti-mite spray* or the NetTex red Total Mite Kill spray*

 

The mites will be killed, but I'd still spray their legs once a month as the scales will be left raised and mites will easily find their way in.

 

Bear in mind that their legs will never look quite the same again, but the scales will gradually moult off. Please don't be tempted to pick the scales off their legs.

 

*not licensed for use on poultry in the UK.

[johnandkymberley]

thanks dogmother, will the scales ever grow back the same? i havent picked anything off but heard about vaselilne, sudocrem and liquid paraffin, i will buy some of that spray now, when you say twice but a week apart do you mean every fortnight or twice a week? sorry if thats a thick question! p.s i have done them all, although petals is really bad but ive heard that the other birds will get it if one does? also how to hens get scaly leg? xx

[johnandkymberley]

Also which spray is better? looked at the nettex one and it seems to be for housing etc and the other was like a budgie one? am i looking at the right products? xx

[Egluntyne]

I use sudocrem with good effect. The scales never look quite the same afterwards, no matter what you use to threat it.

[The Dogmother]

Also which spray is better? looked at the nettex one and it seems to be for housing etc and the other was like a budgie one? am i looking at the right products? xx

 

Either of them is good, they are just not licensed for use on poultry in the UK, hence the less than clear labeling. Spray once, then again a week later. I'd then repeat it once a month just to be sure that there are no mites sneaking under the raised scales. The legs will gradually improve in appearance over time, but as I said, won't regain their former glory.

[Redwing]

Are you sure its scaly leg and not something perfectly normal like raised scales? they could be just going in to their first moult

 

Given how much attention you give them I would be very surprised that scaly leg has struck and allowed to get really bad

[The Dogmother]

Can you see a crust under the scales or are they just raised? Perhaps some photos would help us to help you...

[Chucky Mama]

I agree that it needs to be established whether it is scaly leg.

 

Of topic a little - do you have 10 hens in the 3m run all day or do they get the opportunity to free range? A shortage of space may create stress which in turn leaves them more susceptible to illness/disease.

[johnandkymberley]

okay, will get some photos, i will take them of petal as hers is the worst, but it looks quite dry

so far i have put on liquid paraffin mixed with eucalyptus on all of them and just a little bit of vaseline on petal

 

 

Chuckymama - they free range all day, every day USUALLY, but this week they are on marriage pellets with flubenvet so are only having 2 hours a day, i didnt think i could let them out more?

Also they are doing the trick as i have found 4 white worms

 

Just on another note i dont think my hens have moulted since ive had them, well the original 5 - 7th May 2010, nor have i noticed the other 5 loose any feather just seen newish feathers coming through?

[The Dogmother]

With regards to run size and free ranging; you need to allow a MINIMUM of 1 metre squared per hen in the run. This is regardless of the amount of time that they spend free ranging as there will always be times (such as when you're out for the day, or when the daylight hours are shorter) when they will need to spend more time in the run.You need to make allowances for this in your calculations.

 

I'm afraid that you have far too many hens in that run - you ought to have 5 maximum. I'd suggest that you build or buy a walk in run, or more housing.

[johnandkymberley]

okay here are some piccies, as promised

http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy53/johnandkymberley/PIC_0429.jpg?t=1311782608

http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy53/johnandkymberley/PIC_0428.jpg

http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy53/johnandkymberley/PIC_0427.jpg

 

Sorry about the muck on her feet, she had been stratching!

 

Dogmother, on the omlet website it says that a cube and 3m run is for upto 10 chickens, i havent put them in there to be cruel or anything, i just went with what the omlet website said?

Edited July 27, 2011 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

Opinions differ about space. Certainly the Cube itself is big enough for 10, but a 3m run would be considered too small by most experienced hen keepers. They can't take more than a few steps and the crowding may lead to squabbles and behavioural problems such as feather pecking. I think there are a few raised scales there, but whether it is scaly leg mite or not , it is difficult to say. If it is, it is a mild case. I'd put some sudocrem on her and see what happens.

[The Dogmother]

I agree with Egluntyne's post above, the last photo doesn't look as if there are any crusts under the scales but it's hard to tell from the other pics. It certainly looks as if that bird has had scaly mites at some stage, you ought to be able to see yourself if there are crusts under the scales, you can see some for reference in the photo below.

 

 

How old is the hen in your photo and have her legs looked like that since you got her?

 

I also agree with Eggers about the space issue, I'm one of many who think that there's summat awry with the maths which calculates that you can fit 10 hybrid hens in a run of that size. I have small bantams in an extended cube run, and they have far more space than they need in their run in case I have to leave them in there all day, and believe me those occasions happen, so it's best to plan for such contingencies.

[Redwing]

The leg in the last pic seems a bit to 'clean' to be scaly leg mite

 

It may be that the hen has had it before or it could be that she is moulting as the scales lift just like that as the new scales come in underneath, the moulting of the scales is more obvious than the moulting of the feathers sometimes

 

I'd use the Sudocreme which will not do any harm either way. please dont use liquid paraffin, its a well known cure for scaly leg mite but is apparently very painful for the chook if the scales are very raised

[johnandkymberley]

ok verdict - well checked all legs tonight and set about putting sudacrem on them all just incase as i know once scaly leg infected one hen it will spread. Checked Petals legs and no crustiness just lifting. I got the hens when they were 6 months old, so about now they are 14months oldish, they were being neglected before i got them so unsure if they have had scaly leg, although it probably wouldnt have been treated and i have never noticed anything with there legs. Admittedly i dont inspect them everyday (we do a weekly check) but we spend time with them outside and they have always had slender smooth legs, i noticed petals when she was standing tall looking at me and the sort of bump before her toes worried me. It doesnt look like that pic on here so maybe its not that? When they moult though is it usual for it for start at the sort of ankle bit? Anyway got them all sudocremed, they have been walking around looking like they have legwarmers on! What do you think would be my next step? how do i tell if it is moulting? Have cleaned out the eglu today aswell so its uber clean for there legs, was worried incase anything harboured in there! thanks for everything on here, it really is on here i have learnt everything, i dont know every single thing about hens but im glad i have you people on here to ask! xxxx

Edited July 27, 2011 by Guest

[Redwing]

They will almost certainly be having a moult at some point before winter so it sounds like its that

 

If its a moult then Sudocreme will not do them any harm at all so I'd apply it weekly for the next few weeks just in case