# Scaly leg (chickens)



## JillA (6 September 2016)

Does anyone know - will diatomaceous earth get rid of the mites like it does red mite? Or will I have to get a specific treatment? Small infestation on a hen that has gone broody so I can easily dust her "nest" with DE.


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## MotherOfChickens (6 September 2016)

no, the mites get between the scales and you need to use sudocrem/liquid parafin/vaseline worked in to suffocate them. do once a week for a month (mites can persist in the environment for a month or so)


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## JillA (6 September 2016)

Thanks, got plenty of all of those lol


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## MotherOfChickens (6 September 2016)

benzyl benzoate is good for mites as well-it can be watered down and sprayed onto surfaces.


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## dollyanna (6 September 2016)

I've had great success using a dab of neem oil, let it trickle into all the cracks, just used it once a week or once a fortnight and it has healed beautifully. This was quite a bad case too.


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## Kylara (6 September 2016)

Coat legs in sudocrem (or vaseline but sudocrem better) for about a week then once a week for about a month. 

Can also pop some ivermectin drops on chook which will have the added bonus of killing any other mites etc on the chicken as well!


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## JillA (6 September 2016)

Lol got all of those except the ivermectin (itchy horse ) Neem oil might be less hassle, she is happy to be handled for a while and then gets anxious to get back to her (china) egg!


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## MotherOfChickens (6 September 2016)

ivermectin is not licensed for poultry, I have used it for persistant scaly leg but with prescription from vet-there is also egg withdrawal for ivermectin. be careful with essential oils and chooks-some are neurotoxic.


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## JillA (6 September 2016)

MotherOfChickens said:



			benzyl benzoate is good for mites as well-it can be watered down and sprayed onto surfaces.
		
Click to expand...

Did you know Imperial Leather talc contains BB? That will be going on her nest, it works for my itchy horse so..........


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## MotherOfChickens (6 September 2016)

JillA said:



			Did you know Imperial Leather talc contains BB? That will be going on her nest, it works for my itchy horse so..........
		
Click to expand...


I didnt know that. Personally I wouldnt put talc near anything especially a small animal.


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## Emmangel (15 September 2016)

My friend uses vaseline and said it works really well......


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## Esmae (15 September 2016)

A very well respected chicken producer told me that if you dunk the chicken's legs in surgical spirit daily for a week you will get rid of scaly leg with ease.  I tried it and it worked a treat.


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