Scaly Leg Mites in Chickens-Signs, Symptoms & Treatments

Every type (classes) of poultry can get scaly leg mites. Treatment is important to maintain good health, well being, and improve the appearance of your chickens. Find out about scaly leg mites, signs, symptoms, treatments, old fashioned treatments, herbal remedies, and how to prevent your chickens from getting scaly leg mites plus watch our featured video: How to get rid of Scaly Leg Mites.
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About Scaly Leg Mite (Cnemidoeoptes mutants)/Itch Mite

Scaly leg mite if left untreated can cause feet and leg deformities in chickens and other poultry and can cause the loss of the tips of the birds toes. This mite lives beneath the scales of the shanks and feet. These itch mites also attack the comb, wattles, and neck.

Symptoms of Scaly Leg Mites

The first signs of infestation are often overlooked which appear as redness and foot irritation but quickly escalates to a easily seen problem as the scales on the feet and legs actually thicken and rise up giving them a rough appearance.

Treatment for Scaly Leg Mites

PictureScaly Leg Mites photo used under creative commons from iShamba (3)
Traditionally painting the roosts and the use of carbolineums were successfully used for the control of common poultry mites. Carbolineums were "used for a heavy oily substance distilled from an anthracene-oil or creosote-oil fraction of coal tar and used as a wood preservative, disinfectant, or insecticide", as defined by Merriam Webster dictionary. The bird's feet were dipped in this tar like substance to suffocate the mites, thereby killing them. Studies show that excessive use of carbolineums can damage the wattles and combs of chickens as well as, cause acute hepatic inefficiency (liver problems) which makes this a NOT ideal solution for the treatment of scaly leg mites. However, petroleum jelly does not have this same effect, or there has been no reports of it.
Paint the roosts and any wood surfaces with non toxic paint
Give the bird a bath using Dawn dish soap (original) and warm water. After the bird's feathers are dry, treat with mite and lice treatment.
​Treat all birds in your flock with mite and lice treatment
Sanitize the bird's feet with rubbing alcohol (soak birds feet and legs in a solution of 1 cup rubbing alcohol to 2 gallons of warm water for 10 minutes)
Apply 100% petroleum jelly to the legs and feet of all birds in the flock
Ivermectin (a pour on dewormer and insect repellent)-Many claim that Ivermectin commonly used on cattle will keep scaly leg mites and other insects away from chickens.
Parafin wax-Many people melt parafin wax down to a liquid and as soon as it is cool enough not to burn the chicken they soak their legs and feet in it. The wax will harden and suffocate the mites.
Vegetable oil-Many people swear by cooking oil saying that if they soak their chickens legs and feet in it for ten to fifteen minutes that it will get rid of the scaly leg mites.

Featured Video: How to Treat Scaly Legs in Chickens

This video describes the old fashioned remedy for treating scaly leg mites in chickens using surgical spirits (a sterilising solution used in salons to sterilize surfaces) and vaseline (100% pure petroleum jelly often used to soften dry skin). She makes a mistake in the video saying the vaseline will suffocate the chickens and kill the mites which she obviously meant the vaseline would suffocate and kill the mites.

Preventing Scaly Leg Mites in Your Flock By Motherhen

The easiest way I have found to prevent scaly leg mites is to put a shallow pan of Food grade DE (Diametaceous Earth) inside of my hen house door where the birds go in and out. This forces them to walk through it. Foodgrade DE will kill any mites on the birds and repel any of them that may be hanging around wanting to munch on your birds, I also put 1 cup of Foodgrade DE in every 50lbs of feed and mix it in, the chickens eat it with their feed and don't get worms either. Every Spring I give each bird a warm bath and apply petroleum jelly to their legs, feet, comb and wattles. Spring clean the coop, and paint any wood surfaces with non toxic paint and have had no problems with mites, scaly leg mites, or worms. I don't sprinkle it all over the coop as some people do as the fine particles can cause respiratory breathing problems in my birds.--Motherhen

Natural Mite & Lice Treatments for Your Chickens

  • Wood ashes-wood ashes from burned wood in nesting boxes, where they take their dust baths,  and in floor bedding to prevent lice and mites.
  • Organic Neem Oil can be sprayed on roosts, nest boxes, and perches to get rid of lice and mites.
  • A Spicata can be used to treat chickens for lice and mites
  • Catnip works as a sedative and as a natural insecticide
  • Lavender can be used as an insecticide which also increases blood circulation and is well known as a stress reliever too.
  • Lemon balm and lemon rinds can be shredded into nest and coop bedding. Fresh squeezed lemon juice can be sprayed on roosts to repel insects. 
  • Peppermint - anti-parasitic, insecticide
  • Sage
  • Spearmint-Prevents lice and mites and also has healing properties when fed to your chickens. 
  • Thyme​
 See more ways you can keep your chickens healthy using herbs Go to Herbs for Chickens

Leg Problems in Chickens-Signs, Symptoms, & Treatments

List of various types of leg problems in chickens. Includes signs, symptoms and treatments for most common leg problems such as, slipped Achilles tendon, scaly leg mites, splayed legs, hobbling, fixing a broken leg and more! If your chicken is having problems with their legs you need to check this out. Go to Leg Problem Treatments

Lice & Mites That Infest Chickens & How to Get Rid Of Them

Go to Get Rid of Mites & Lice
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​References:
1. https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/IND43893801/PDF
2. Video: How to treat scaly leg mites in chickens. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vx3hanjrNM
3, Photo: Scaly leg mites. iShamba. https://www.facebook.com/iShambaLtd/photos/p.536500769847598/536500769847598/