Hi I'm worried about my chicken!She has bleeding spots all over her feet,I think they are scabbing but she might be picking at them because she seems to have more than she did yesterday.I washed her feet and put some betadine on the spots on her feet where it was bleeding(I didn't think it was a good idea but my mum said she thought it was ok to put betadine on it)but i dont know if i should try bandaging it or something(or is that over the top)Is there a condition they can get where their feet are scaley because her feet are greyish and quite scaley compared to my other chicken's feet which are yellow and smooth
Is it just her feet or her legs also? Is it possible she has scaly leg mites? I have never had/seen them but have read about it and that might be your cause. Maybe you could use the "keyword" search and see if there are some previous messages that addressed it.
is pine tar something i can get at the shops?or is it something you can only get from a farm or a doctor?
I bought pine tar at a ranch supply store. It was in the horse section. Just a small can, goes a LONG way, and was only a few dollars. It is messy so wear some gloves. But supposedly chickens don't like the taste of it and it also helps to heal wounds. I have used it on some serious injuries (rooster tearing a hen's back) with success.
Sounds like you have a bad case of scaly leg mites. If you do a Keyword search you will find quite a few discussions on this subject. To save you time I have located a previous post by CJR:
Thanks so much everyone!We rubbed vicks all over her feet and its looking better already.I know chickens are supposed to take dust baths to get rid of the fleas and mites themselves but is there something i can use or do to get rd of them myself because ive noticed my other chicken having a dust bath but I've never seen Ala(my chicken with the scaley legs) do it.Hey! thats a thought, how many people here name their chickens,I do!(I love my babies)
Mine are Mena, Oblena, Faith, Patience, Charity, and Hope. (Son named first two-daughter named other 4) If you ever intend to eat them I don't recommend names. Ours are for eggs only. And dust baths are very important-I'm still not quite sure how to establish one but I think if they have access to dirt they make their own. Maybe some of the experts here can comment on dust baths.
Arines, Dust bath is good to keep flea infestation down, but it will not get rid of scaly leg mites.
By Susie (Susied) on Tuesday, April 2, 2002 - 08:55 am:
I'm sure the betadine is fine. I wouldn't try bandaging her feet but if she continues to pick at the sore spots, you might try pine tar. It helps healing and also keeps them from picking at bloody spots. Keep an eye on her though. You may need to separate her from the others as any bleeding spots entice everybody to pick and peck and that can definitely cause big problems!
Hopefully you'll get a response that addresses your situation more specifically.
Susie
By Arines on Tuesday, April 2, 2002 - 09:02 am:
By Susie (Susied) on Tuesday, April 2, 2002 - 11:53 am:
Susie
By anny on Tuesday, April 2, 2002 - 04:07 pm:
"By Cjeanr on Saturday, February 16, 2002 - 12:45 pm:
Few people realize that Campho-Phenique (at your drug store) applied with an eyedropper, holding the leg up, and dripping the oil from toes to hock, just enough to soak under the scales--or soak the crust well, if the scales have been destroyed, you will have cure! Several applications about a week apart will do wonders with a bad case, one treatment for a very light infection. And if a mild case, the legs will be absolutely as good as new. But then you must watch for the telltale white lines around the scales on other birds or reinfection, C-P has a clean smell and does not stain the featherlegged breeds so badly as the heavier oils, and it will get under the scales, where the linseed, crankcase oils and other may push an air bubble behind and thus may not kill the mites. And it is not as irritating or painful for the birds. Used to get a huge bottle for $5, it is more costly now, for a very small bottle, but with an eyedropper, it is still a good value. Just watch you other birds legs, and if you see a hint of it, the CP will zap it in one treatment! I keep it on hand to put on legs of birds I ship or show! Good luck, CJR"
I think pine tar is not the right stuff to use on scaly legs, it will NOT kill the mites.
By Arines on Wednesday, April 3, 2002 - 02:52 am:
By Robint on Wednesday, April 3, 2002 - 09:45 am:
By anny on Wednesday, April 3, 2002 - 03:31 pm:
Vicks is good but you have to repeat treatment 2-3 times a week for the first couple of weeks, then once a week for several weeks and still you can't be sure it's completely cured. I have one hen that has scaly leg mites since over two years. I have used Vicks but when I stop treatment it comes back after a couple of month.
Campho-Phenique seems to be much more effective. I cannot buy it here but I will ask my cousin to bring it when he comes over from the US next June. Hope this helps. Anny.
Yes, my hens have names: my Australorp is number one in peck order so she is "Chief", number two is a Cochin called "Dikke Doen" (big duvet jacket), number three is "Irma". I have two new pullets since two weeks, still nameless. I will have to organize a party to name them. For the first three I asked my vet's wife to be godmother - clever me - ever since my vet doesn't charge any fee for the hens. He cured my Cochin's bumblefoot. Although the operation took a whole hour, he did it so well she never limped afterwards. So I will invite the vet and his wife to the party and ask the wife to be godmother to the new pullets and name them. Half a dozen eggs now and then will remind them of their duty to their godchildren.
Robint, you are right, if chickens have access to dirt they make their own dust bath. I remember reading somewhere how to make a dust bath for them if they don't have access to durt. I think it was Dr. Bruce Smith who had a good recipe.
I like Oblena, nice name!