Depluming mite.

[Callisto]

Does anyone have any experience of this? I've had a look online, but can't find anything definitive.

My barbu d'uccle cockerel has got bald patched on either side of his neck. He hasn't lost feathers anywhere else, and he definitely isn't being pecked (only has 1 female pekin bantam with him and they have the run of my quite large garden). The bald patches have long spikes growing, like the feather has gone apart from the quill. I have treated fairly recently with frontline (cat) and they have been wormed. He has got scaly mite on his legs which I'm treating with vasaline.

bald patches, sorry.

He's moulted and those long spikes are the new feathers.

Agree it sounds like he's moulting

Give him a bit of catfood - feathers are protein rich and he could probably do with a bit of extra help. Ivermectin is best for scaley leg - vaseline is not great on it's own. If you don't want to use ivermectin give his legs a scrub with surgical spirit then apply vaseline.

hadn't noticed it was you

Thanks for the replies, I really don't think he is moulting, the spikey bits are not new quills. They are very thin and long, just like feathers without all of the feathery bit on either side.

Ivermectin is a wormer isn't it? I will try the surgical spirits tip too, thanks.

Ivermectin gets rid of mites as well as worms.

Surgical spirit is meant to be quite harsh and painful for the bird.

Really Viva? I have to say that mine have never really exhibited any distress. I've never found it painful to use on myself - a slight sting initially and that's it?

I've never used it but people on practical poultry forum say not to use it, that it's cruel for the birds. I think because their legs are so sore from the mites. It would be like pouring surgical spirit over lots of little cuts.

Quills aren't feathery until they lose the keratin outer

I can see that would be an issue but with scaly leg the mites burrow under the scales so that you get a really thick outer layer of dead scales IYKWIM? I'm not sure that the surgical spirit would even penetrate though that to the "live" scales underneath. Anyway prevention is always better than cure so ivermectin all the way...

Anyway if he hasn't moulted sometimes they do peck at the neck feather for extra protein - try feeding catfood.

The ivermectin would be administered orally?

No, you put it on the back between the wings.