I didn't know what was wrong with one of my birds and suspected it might be scaly face mites..Her feet had the 'scales' on them lifting up, is the only way I can describe it. But today I just saw this crustiness on her feet and some on her beak now which wasn't there before. She has some of the crusty stuff on the top of her beak (at the bottom of her cere) and something is weird with the feathers between the side of her beak and her eyes. I'm certain it is scaly face now..I can't post any pics but is my description enough to tell you what stage it is in?

If not (which it probably isn't) then can someone post pictures of the stages of scaly face and what treatment to use?

 

I'm going soon to buy some from the petshop if they have any..but I've heard that at a certain stage it is too bad for that to work and you have to get something from the vet? Is this true, and if so, what would I have to get? At what stage would it be too bad?

Is scaly face mites contagious? She has been in a cage with another bird..she was actually one of my breeding pairs, but her eggs were all addled and she looked to have scaly face so I chucked them all and removed the nest..so I want to know if I have to treat her mate as well.

Also, should I totally scrub out the cage, etc, to make sure all the mites are gone?

Thanks, any help is appreciated.

Edited March 9, 200916 yr by Jen144

She definitely has scaly mite. she would be best treated with ivermictin. the pet shop stuff wont do much good when she has it as bad as she does.

You can treat the cage etc with A.I.L and there is no harm in putting ivermictin on the others she was around too.

Edited March 9, 200916 yr by **Liv**

Ah okay. Where can I get ivermectin? Also, should I give her mate the ivermectin too?

Edited March 9, 200916 yr by Jen144

You can get it from most avian vets or you can find a local breeder who possibly has some. You only need one drop per bird.

Would be best to treat her partner too, but if the mite is not active it will not consume the poison and may still infect the bird later down the track. Personally, i treat as i see it, i don't treat the flock when one bird has it, because the mite can lay dormant for many many months, sometimes years.

Edited March 9, 200916 yr by **Liv**

Okay thank you. Will I have to clean out their cage as well? Would the mites be in their cage or would treating the bird kill them all?

In my experience scaly face mites live on the bird not in the cages. They burrow under skin of feet and into beaks...they live on the host and not in the cage.