11/10/2023
Let's talk feet - Part 1
Poultry's feet come in all shapes and sizes - smooth naked feet, feathered feet, webbed feet and feet with extra toes. Our chooks feet and legs do a lot of work, they have to carry those little dinosaurs around, scratch up the ground looking for treats and hold the chook up while sleeping on the perch at night. If you're a rooster, they have to allow you to delicately balance on your ladies back numerous times a day.
But have you checked your chooks feet lately - there a few common ailments that affect our feather friend's legs and feet.
Scaley leg is caused by a nasty little mite that burrows into the skin between the scales and causes the skin to go thick and crusty. If left unchecked it is not only painful it can result in deformed feet and lost toes. It is also contagious.
Treat your chickens firstly by giving their feet a nice soak in warm water to soften the dead and crusty skin and then gently use a soft toothbrush to scrub off the loosened debris. Dry their legs thoroughly, the next step is to coat your chicken's feet and legs with a cream or oil to suffocate the mites. Treatment needs to be repeated every couple of days till their legs clear up. Don't forget to treat the entire flock.
Impeckable Poultry has Scaly Leg Salve made with raw beeswax and honey, olive/coconut, tea tree and peppermint oils and a foot bath with lemon myrtle and lavender available to assist in the treatment of this condition.