Scaly beak

[viking]

Hi everyone

Can anyone advise what to do with our 2 year old female--see picture. This seems to have developed in the last 3 months.

Thanks in advance.

[samwiseg]

Hi viking

Scaly face is very easy to treat.

You will need to purchase some Ivermectin 0.1% spot on drops for your bird.

Is she with any other birds in an aviary or cage? If so, they will need to be treated too as it is highly contagious. The mites go EVERYWHERE. So your cage/aviary will need a thorough clean too.

You must make sure that it is Ivermectin 0.1% drops, no other dose is suitable.

This is it: www.gardenfeathers.co.uk/category-54/ivermectin-for-small-birds-01-spot-on.html

One drop once a week for 3 weeks should do it. Place on the birds skin (you have to part the feathers) between the shoulder blades so it can't preen it out and that should sort it!

Best of luck let us know how you get on

[viking]

Hi Sam
Thanks for the advice which I shall follow. Will bring you up to date in due course.
A very useful site.

[samwiseg]

Jun 19, 2020 7:17:41 GMT viking said:

Hi Sam
Thanks for the advice which I shall follow. Will bring you up to date in due course.
A very useful site.

Thank you! We think so too Do hope you decide to stick around

[Marianne Marlow]

It's pretty hard to tell from that photo if it's scalyface or just a normal hen cere. But treating her will give you peace of mind and wont do her any harm.

[Hezz]

I'm inclined to think along Marianne Marlow's line. It doesn't actually look like scaly face to me, but more like an over-active hen's cere. If the nostrils aren't closed over, there is nothing to be concerned about, but keep an eye on that. If you want to see if some of that cere build-up will come off, try rubbing it gently with a little oil, any kind of cooking oil will do, they are all safe to use. Hens can get what is called hyperkeratosis where that crusty growth overgrows.