Warning: Plain cooking oil sorted my hen's leg mites in a week

My barred rock had those rough, crusty legs from mites. I coated them with regular cooking oil each day after letting the kids out for school. The gunk sloughed off and her legs smoothed right out. Cheap, simple, and it saved a vet call.

3 comments

3 Comments

jessicajohnson7d ago

That part about the gunk sloughing off is what made me think of something. The oil might work by smothering the mites, but it also traps heat against the skin. On a hot day, that could actually cook the skin and cause a burn or blister. I've seen similar things with other animals. Maybe try something like petroleum jelly instead. It still smothers them but won't heat up as much in the sun. Just a thought, because a bad burn on top of mites would be awful.

the_henry7d ago

Does petroleum jelly really stay cooler? I've seen it get pretty warm and greasy in the sun too. Maybe oil is just fine if you use a thin layer.

the_willow7d ago

Apply petroleum jelly at night to skip the heat risk. It still blocks the mites while your hen sleeps. Notice any difference with cooler temps?

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