Help mites on hen and hatching eggs!

[Roseynose]

Help! My hen is sitting on eggs in the cracking stage about to hatch. I moved my hen to an isolated coop for her safey from some bullys. But I just found some sort of feather mites all over my hens inner feathers. I put dimostacious Earth all over her and then relized that may be harmful for the hatchlings. I don't have an incubator, I don't have money to buy meds or anything else until the end of the month. I have garlic maybe I could make a tea and spray the nest and feathers but is that safe? Don't know what to do

 

[Henora]

I had chicks with mites and sprayed them with garlic powder. It seemed to repel the mites but I also brought the chicks indoors and put them under a heat lamp so don't know if that would have an effect.

 

[Roseynose]

I had chicks with mites and sprayed them with garlic powder. It seemed to repel the mites but I also brought the chicks indoors and put them under a heat lamp so don't know if that would have an effect.

Thank you i might try this. The garlic didn't harm the chick's? How did you make the spray, did you just mix with water and spray?

 

[Henora]

Thank you i might try this. The garlic didn't harm the chick's? How did you make the spray, did you just mix with water and spray?

I just mixed pureed garlic with warm water and then spritzed it on their bums and a little on the back of the head. They smelled like garlic for a little bit but otherwise seemed fine.

 

[Roseynose]

Thank you!

 

[VaDutch]

DE should help. Dust her rele good before they hatch and put maybe a little in the nesting box. Just don't want it to become too airborne and have them breathing it obviously.

 

[Roseynose]

I was wondering about DE and breathing issues.

 

[Henora]

Hi, what did you end up doing to get rid of the mites and how did it go?

 

[Roseynose]

I used DE while hatching, then put chicks under heat plate in a bin, washed my hen with soap mixed with teatree oil. Cleaned out the coop, dabbed teetree oil around the coop. Then sprayed garlic water around, added bedding. Misted the chick's with garlic water. I assume this will be an on going thing though. Once they are older I might treat the whole flock with ivermectin or another strong mite treatment so it will come to an end.