Advice needed

Dad · **Joined:** Thu May 20, 2010 11:07 am **Posts:** 13

Hi all, Just hoping to get some answers to a few health questions, my wife and I recently brought a chook from a fodder shop, mainly because we felt sorry for it, its legs were very crusted up and lumpy and it was in a cage where it couldnt stand up, any way being softies we paid the $4 asking price and took it home.
I did some web searching since and believe the chook has lice that live on the legs so we washed,brushed and scraped of the dead stuff and applied some olive oil and a little kero and insecticide. I also chopped the spurs off. the chook looks a little better now, but we may need to repeat the treatment.

While dusting the chook with pestene, we notice a white coating around the neck feathers, we could see it before on the out side, but we didnt know why it is there and hoped some one could shed some light on this. we also noticed black spots on the comb, but it doesnt look like anything is alive or moving, we have a few other chooks so we have isolated ole crusty legs until we are sure there is no risk to our other chooks.

Any advice will be appreciated, except we just wasted $4 [smilie=a_chuckle.gif]

I dont think i can post pictures here to show the problems.

b&p · **Posted:** Fri May 21, 2010 7:34 pm

Onya Dad and Mrs Dad for rescuing the poor thing.

Legs definately sound like Scaly Leg Mite which you have taken in hand, yes it might take a few goes to get it sorted though.

The white coatings on the feathers are quite possibly unhatched lice eggs. They usually form in clusters and if you look under the wings and around the bum you will probably find big clumps that look a bit like knots or matts.
Ypu will have to use your pestene regularly to get the poor thing sorted out finally.

Might also be a very good idea to worm ole crusty legs while your at it and repeat in 2 weeks.

Black spots on comb are more than likely scabs from being picked on by other birds if no other symptoms are showing.

Isolation is always a very good idea when bringing in new birds.

Is it a hen or rooster?

Dad · **Joined:** Thu May 20, 2010 11:07 am **Posts:** 13

Thanks for quick reply!!! ole crusty legs is a noisy rooster, not sure what type, brown, black and green colour, sort of plain, not good looking really, he is lucky I have 4 girls spare once he is healthy, other wise he would be single.
I didnt think the white stuff was lice eggs, although I really dont know what it is, the reason I did not think it was lice was because there is a complete tube of white stuff that neatly appears around the base of the feathers, not clusters, every feather appears to have this white stuff around the neck feathers only. I will get my wife to check under the wings and around the bum when its light outside.

Whats a good worming medication, I may as well do all my chooks.

b&p · **Posted:** Fri May 21, 2010 8:26 pm

Ahhh.

Well that is the coating off the new feather shafts as he would have moulted recently and is still coming back into full feather.

Any of the worm treatments from your produce are normally pretty good. I'ver used several different ones and am yet to find one that I truly like.

At the moment I am using Avitrol plus which is tablet form, but only because I have some shows coming up and it means I KNOW the birds got it.

We will have to see a pic of Mr Crusty Legs soon though as he sounds interesting and once all his feathers are back properly he'll probably be stunning.

Dad · **Joined:** Thu May 20, 2010 11:07 am **Posts:** 13

Heres a link showing mr crustys problems!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnyd90/

Thanks for the advice, good stuff

b&p · **Posted:** Fri May 21, 2010 10:56 pm

Yep his neck is nothing to worry about...just the new feathers coming through after moult.

Poor buggers legs. They should heal up nicely though.

Love the sling......could do with one of them here at times. LOL

Fluffy_Feet · **Posted:** Fri May 21, 2010 11:34 pm

poor thing.. scalys look bad.. his comb just looks like mozzie bites...

other than that he looks to be in pretty good health..

Good luck with his road ahead

Roova · **Posted:** Sat May 22, 2010 7:33 am

Good on you for helping an animal in need! I hope he ends up being a lovely natured boy and good to his ladies to have made it worth your while.

How could someone let an animal in their care get to that stage I wonder? I think the problem is people not doing enough research on the care needed for an animal they bought. They probably had no idea they can get external and internal parasites etc Chooks get the rough end of the stick in some cases I think because some people seem to see them as farm animals which can almost fend for themselves!

Your boy is very lucky you came along that day! [smilie=a_cookiemonster.gif]

Dad · **Joined:** Thu May 20, 2010 11:07 am **Posts:** 13

thanks for all the replies, good to know we are on the right track

LOOLOO · **Posted:** Sun May 23, 2010 8:35 am

He is a lucky chook as he found you

LooLoo

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