[babe]

hi, i picked up a new girl today, a young Gold Sebright.

after seeing them in the run and all the other breeds from a place that was the cleanest ive seen for a chicken breeder, i said i'd like one and the owner got one for me and popped her into a box.

on getting her home and ready to put in a run where all my chooks run free i was horified to see her legs and feet.

she is eating well and drinking.

what is wrong with her and what should i do, there seems to have been some green stuff put on at some point. and she has one whole toe completely missing.

photos below. any help and advice would be great as i dont want her to suffer

thanks K x

NEW GIRL

SORE TOES 1

SORE TOES 2

[KathyH]

Can you phone the breeder?
I would want to know what had been done to her and why.
She is beautiful though. What fantastic plumage.

[babe]

i know this will sound really soppy - but i dont care.

i cried when i saw her toes, now im angry, so dont really want to call him until im a bit calmer and not in a shouty mood.

also thought id find out what im dealing with first so i dont get fobbed off. i trust the advice here as everyone is always helpful and honest.

forwarned is forarmed as they say and hopefully im worrying about nothing as she seems quite perky and she is so pretty.

[muntjac]

looks like she had severe scaly leg  and he applied some antiseptic of some sort  :? , id start applying some vaseline to remedy it the vaseline will protect the scales kiling any more mites and aslo moisten the skin ,bad husbandary on the part of the previos owner .forget buying anymore from them and look after it yourself ,knowing that it will be better off  

[babe]

thank you so much Muntjac.  

as soon as i noticed i wiped them gently with some cooled boiled water, dried them and slavered them with vaseline, (thanks to previous posts on here, i suspected it was scaly leg and had seen vaseline was the way to go).

how often should i apply the vaseline and should i keep her separate from the other chickens.

i feel very annoyed that he did this, the chickens he showed me did not have this problem, and everywhere looked so clean.

i will be more careful in future, but for now lots of attention to get her well.

[Aunt Sally]

Poor little chook.  Definitly complaine to the breeder when you have calmed down  :evil:

leg mites will die if covered with vasseline, I can't remeber hiow long but 2-3 weks should do it.  Leave the lifted scales to fall off naturally when the chook moults.

[Bodger]

Soak her feet with the stuff you treat the kids hair with for nits and it will kill the mite but the scales will probably remain raised and unsightly.
 I personally would take the bird back to the breeder. He obviously knew that his bird had scaley leg and should be hung drawn and quartered for passing on a bird with this condition to anyone, especially a novice :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:

[babe]

hi, thanks aunt sally and bodger.

bodger, i totally see what you are saying, but having now calmed down and given her a cuddle before bed. i really do think she is better off here, where now i know whats wrong i can hopefully get her feeling better.

if i took her back, i would forever feel guilty. its on his conscience, and i hope that when he spends my money he thinks about this poor chook. whereas i will sleep sound knowing im doing the best i can for all my pets.

i also collected 6 fertile eggs from him, 1x gold sebright, 2x light sussex and 3x silver laced wyandottes. would it be wise to put these under my broody  or should i get some eggs from elsewhere

[Aunt Sally]

You've got nothing to lose by hatching them - give it a go  

[babe]

hi again, another query that may be really silly. he said that he dusted her for redmite when he put her in the box.

this smelt just like the poultry spice i use.

does red mite powder smell like spice.

im lucky that so far ive not had red mite. i check with a torch every night when they go to bed.

should  be teating for red mite even if i dont have it.

sorry for waffling on  :shock:

[Aunt Sally]

Barrier red mite powder smells herbal and spicy.  So it could be.  It would be a good idea to dust all your chooks and the accommodation.  If he dusted her it means he knows he has a problem  :evil:   Don't buy from him again  :!:

[babe]

thanks a million aunt sally.

i will be out first thing to get what i need to dust them and their home.

how could i have been so stupid??

thanks to everyone on here, the help and advice is invaluable and better than any book.

love k

[muntjac]

sounds like  blooming conman the sort i personally have a inkling to use nut pliers on.make sur you let anyone who keeps chucks about his birds .a call to the rspca wont go amiss

[Bodger]

HV
Keep this bird apart from any other birds you may have until you are sure that you have killed the living mite on the birds legs. Its a problem that  can be passed on to your other birds.

[babe]

Thanks again to everyone for the great help and advice.

new girl is happily settled in her own little house and run while she gets better. she doesnt seem to mind having the vaseline slopped all over her legs, sits nice and quiet.

everywhere else has been thoroughly cleaned, disenfected and treated for mites. all chickens have also have a good dusting.

have tried calling the breeder - no answer - what a surprise.