lame chook

[jimred]

shes walking fine today just holding her leg up slightly, panic over!!

how common is Marek in older birds, when looking up poultry disease it doesn't really tell you how common or rare these diseases are!

regarding scaly leg, i use the scaly leg spray every 2 months or so, is this spray OK, is scaly leg a common problem in chickens.

thanks eveyone

jim

[RichmondHens]

Good to hear your bird is on the mend Jim.

My understanding of Marek's (with the assistance of my "bible" - Diseases of Free Range Poultry by Victoria Roberts) is this:

It seems it is always present to some degree (like a lot of poultry diseases) and older birds can be carriers without showing any sign of infection. The virus is contracted by inhalation and shed through skin and feather dander. It will more likely affect chicks and growers than older birds. Chicks are hatched free of disease (it is not transmissable via the egg) and can be vaccinated as day olds.

My own feeling is that it is probably not a huge threat for the average chicken keeper with a dozen or so hens in their back garden. However, each time you buy in new birds, the risk of bringing in new diseases to the flock is increased.

Scaly leg is very common in chickens and a lot of chicken keepers are either not aware their chickens have it, or assume it is a sign of age. Chickens legs should actually remain smooth throughout their lives. The raised scales are caused by the droppings of the mite building up underneath the scale and pushing the scale out. The mite can infect small chicks (can be picked up from the broody if she is infected) but not show signs of its presence till the birds are point of lay or older. Unless you are certain that your birds came from leg mite free premises, its always best to treat newcomers for leg mite as a precaution in case they are carrying it, before introducing them to your other birds.

I do not use a spray for leg mite and you don't mention which one you use. I dip the legs of any new birds in surgical spirit as a precautionary measure and none of my birds have ever had scaly leg mite infection.

[Scottishnewbie]

Jim, sorry for "sharing" your thread with you - I hope you dont mind as it is the same area (!!). I've done some more research and I'm now wondering if my girl has frostbite - anyone any experience and suggestions please?

[Bramble-Poultry]

just to reiterate, Frontline (spray or spot on) as a product is not licenced for poultry. However, the active ingredient within it (Fiprinol) is licenced for poultry. Our vet cant prescribe neat Fibrinol, so he does the next best thing and that is to prescribe a fiprinol based product, which is Frontline Spray

If you are at all concerned about the fiprinol in the Frontline, please feel free to contact your local vet, my vet (simon at Haygate Veterinary Surgery in Telford) or even the consultant vet to the Poultry Club of Great Britain, all of which support the use of Frontline as a modern, relativly pain and stress free method of mite and tick removal in poultry.