UNWANTED GUESTS

[QUATRO]

My Light Sussex cockerel Titus has got a nasty infestation of lice about his rear end! Very unpleasant! Not so much around the vent, but particularly over a red patch of skin in the down area. The rest of him is clear. I'm pretty sure they are not Northern Fowl mite. Neither are they red mite. Titus' guests are a couple of millimteres long and of a caramel colour. And there are a lot of them. I've tried louse powder but to no effect. The coop shows no signs of the louse in their bedding. They only seem to be living on the bird. Titus is blooming with health otherwise and doesn't seem to be bothered by these small beasties. Can any of you experienced, wise old birds out there offer any advice on how to get rid of these critters, before I whisk Titus off to an expensive vet? Thanks.

[Gilly C]

frontline for Dogs or cats ! which you need a prescription for spray but you can buy spot on without I was told by my vet one drop on bare skin under each wing or for scaly leg one on each leg ! not liscensed for poultry but no egg withdrawal and kills all biting beasties I had scaley leg after bringing in a cockerel for new blood it worked for me mine are only small as Silkies so maybe an extra drop or 2 for a large bird Good Luck

[woodenart]

Yep, Frontline should do the trick.

[John]

Hello Gilly
I was thinking of trying Frontline on my chickens to get rid of scaly leg mite. It seems to be sold in two separate versions - did you use the one for dogs or for cats? Or they both same and its just the pipette applicator that's different?
I've tried the various paraffin oil treatments which only seem to contain the problem but don't entirely get rid of it.

Thanks
John

[PLUMPUDDING]

When my hens had scaly leg a few years ago I mixed some vegetable oil with a teaspoon of lavender and a teaspoon of tea tree essential oils and stood the hens in it. I worked it well into their legs so it went under the scales.

I did this a few times and it cleared it up.

At about the same time I bought some Barrier Healthcare Red Mite powder and sprinkled it on the perches, working it into any nooks and crevices and put a sprinkle in the nest boxes.

I still do this every few weeks and hadn't really connected this with curing scaly leg, but have just thought that the hens that had it are completely clear and none of the new hens have ever got it, so it is worth a try. The mites probably hide in cracks on the perches if they get a chance so this must kill them too.

The Red Mite Powder is obtainable from Interhatch on their web site and costs about £7.75

[Gilly C]

I used the dog one as I have 2 frontline drops are not yet licensed for poultry but the spray is but my vet had none instock + you need a prescription for the spray not the drops !so cheaper to buy too

I forgot to say you have to wait for the next moult for all the damaged scales to go, vaseline softens the legs and smothers the mites but very messy and surgical spirit helps too put some in a suitable jar and dip the legs but in my opinion frontline is far the easiest and gets rid of all biters !

[John]

Many thanks PP and Gilly for your help.

John