Yes, it probably would. If you get bedding with mites in it again try putting diatimatious earth on it! For hemp I just looked up stores that sell hemp near me.
I currently have 5 chicks that i raised from eggs in pine shavings, and i have not observed any issues. Play sand is way too fine for young birds and along with respiratory issues it causes, if they eat it it can cause blockage in the digestive system. If you don't feel ok with pine shavings try...
So the first thing I would say is that sand (beach sand or similar) can cause serious respiratory issues, maybe switch to pine shavings or hemp. Can you send a picture of the sand?
They are about 2 weeks old for the youngest ones, they are all different ages but the oldest cant be more than 5 weeks old. I can't get a clear picture, but we feed them an organic chick starter grower. Sometimes they get herbs as treats. Does that help?
So my chicks have started to have diarrhea, it has a sort of red spot spattered in it but other than that its watery and brown. Are my chicks in danger of disease?