Storms and chickens

[Hippie Chick]

I've seen this being discussed in a Facebook group I'm in.  I thought I'd share it to see if anyone had any views or experience with the chemicals.  I'm not considering using it, no need and I hope I never have a need either!  

Link to Article on Mother Earth News

I've pasted the salient bits here if people don't want to read the whole thing: 

"Most home treatment options for scaly leg mites suggest dipping the bird's legs in mineral oil or petroleum, and then slathering them in Vaseline. The goal of this is to smother the mites. The treatment is then repeated after an interval of a week or two, to take care of the nits that might have hatched in the meantime.

 

It struck me, while reading this, that this kind of treatment is similar to combating head lice (which, after all, are a lot like mites in many ways). I have gone through purgatory two years ago, when my daughters had a persistent infestation of lice, and I still had a bottle and a half of anti-lice spray sitting under my bathroom sink. The active ingredient of it is dimethicone. In a stroke of inspiration, I decided to try it on my Black Brahma, figuring that if it's safe to use on children's scalps, it should be alright for chicken feet.

 

Unlike dipping, which involves capturing the chicken (not very convenient with a large rooster - Brahmas are among the heavier breeds), spraying can be done quickly and efficiently once the flock has gone up to roost. I sprayed my Brahma at twilight, carefully covering every spot of his feet and legs.

 

A few days later, I was happy to see that the awful dead grey scales are beginning to fall off. I've noticed another chicken who is suffering from this condition, and I'm going to treat her in the same way. I'm really pleased to have discovered this simple, quick, no-mess way of treating scaly leg mites, and will keep it in my *****nal of chicken home remedies."

[The Dogmother]

Yes, that would work, and is best applied with a soft (child's) toothbrush and worked up under the leg scales. I use an Ivermectin-based preventative, so that stops them getting any mites or lice. A lot of folks use Sudocrem, but anything which smothers the mites will probably work.

Bear in mind that in times past, farmers would dip their birds' legs in disgusting stuff like tractor oil or surgical spirit; please don't use either - the former is carcinogenic and the latter stings like heck.

Edited February 24, 2020 by The Dogmother

[Cat tails]

Dimethicone can’t be the active ingredient as it is a common ingredient in things like lotions and shampoos. I would be more worried about the lice becoming resistant to anything you use on it, as you might not hit the right dosage.

Head lice are already resistant to some over the counter products. You don’t want to add leg mites to that list.

[mullethunter]

23 hours ago, Cat tails said:

Dimethicone can’t be the active ingredient as it is a common ingredient in things like lotions and shampoos.

It could be if the method is just to make the legs / scales so slippery that the lice can’t hold on

Actually I’ve just read this 

It kills lice by suffocation and disrupting their ability to regulate water

Edited February 25, 2020 by mullethunter

[Cat tails]

But then why using special products? 

As I understand there are two kinds of headlice treatments: the suffocate/kill adults and just keep this up regularly. And the kill EVERYTHING, including the eggs kind. 

For the first kind, using just conditioner regularly is sufficient.

[mullethunter]

Quote

But then why using special products? 

Because someone can make some money out of it I guess