Scaley Leg Mite

I haven't had scaly leg mite on my chickens so far. It is a parasite that is contagious amongst chickens and it can be caught by wild birds. It is extremely painful! Signs of having scaly mite is the uplifting of the scales on the legs where they lay their eggs and burrow. To get rid of it you bath the chickens individually in soap water, spray their legs with "Just for scaly legs" spray by Nettex, then smother the chickens legs with Vasaline-this suffocates the mice and helps the scales heal. To prevent the parasite from coming back wash the coop/house and move it to a new area. For now I'm just using the spray to prevent the parasite! If you do get it here are some tips:

- do not lift up the scales, it will likely release more mites it to the environment 
- visit the vets! there is a drop on prescribed treatment which works by entering the blood stream.