Putting lime in the chicken run

[moola]

I learnt alot from this thread!!! I had no idea that woodash would be good for scaley leg and having just gotten through a bout with my wee nankin boy (frontline failed so I dipped each leg in hoof oil - but had to re-treat) - if there is anything to help prevent it I'm very interested. I'll be collecting our woodash over the winter for sure. I'd dread to think what my Ixworth's are going to look like!

[Eco-Chic]

Your Ixys will look delightful. They'll clean all the ash off after bathing in it and will look all scrubbed up and shiny

[RichmondHens]

Moola - I didn't say wood ash was good for scaley leg mite, I said coal ash is bad for it! The most effective (and cheap) method I know for treating mite is holding the legs in surgical spirit for 3 minutes. If you buy enough surgical spirit to fill a large jam jar (I'm talking gherkin size here, not jam) you can dunk both legs in at once (although with a large cockerel you may need to do it one leg at a time). Put a lid on the jar and the spirit will be perfectly useable for any other birds. Just make sure the lid has a tight seal to prevent evaporation. You need to suffocate the mite, so make sure the legs stay in for 3 minutes.

The other cheap way is to smother the legs in Vaseline, but this is obviously very messy!

If you have scaley leg mite within your flock you will need to treat all the birds (if they run together) as it is very contagious bird to bird. Even young chicks will pick it up from older hens but may not show symptoms for a while.

[Hilary B]

Not sure about peat ash, but would guess OK if mixed with wood ash. I love the smell of peat fires! I was never quite sure about the use of peat for fuel (I've seen the places where commercial extraction has taken place) but in the not-so-very-distant past it was the only practical option for people in the areas where trees can't grow.