SCALY LEG

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 60, 8 September 1933, Page 12

SCALY LEG

So many fowls havo unsightly legs, covered with crusty scales, that one must be excused for stressing the importance of curing this complaint. The cure is simple, and just at this time of the year can be used to'prevcnt the spread of this trouble. The scales are caused by a wee mite which burrows untier the scale of the leg, irritating tho fowl and in extremely severe cases causing the bird to go lame. If one sets a broody hen with scaly legs, her chicks are "certain, to be infected, so that all broodies should be treated well before they are required to take over maternal duties. Many preparations are recommended, from special ointments to just plain waste car oil. The old mixture of lard, sulphur, and kerosene is hard to beat, is easily made up, and cheap. Mix to a pasto and then massage a little well into all the cracks on the shanks and toes. Bo not let any get ou the skin of the fowl, but cover tho whole leg. Repeat in a week, and continue until cured. Once badly infected, the clean bright scales will never bo normal again, and many poultrymcn treat all their young birds when 'about six months old, just as a preventative. If the chicks are hatched in an incubator, reared under a brooder, and kept away from infection, they will not be troubled with this complaint. But if allowed in contact with infected birds, or housed where infected birds have slept, they' may catch the mites. In very severe eases it is sometimes advisable .to soak the legs in hot soapy water before treatment, but allow . them to dry well before dressing with the mixture.