Are these chicken mites?

[ChickenMomsince2025]

I saw one of these tiny red dot in their feeder yesterday.
I started looking closer around their run this morning and I realized it's not just a couple.
They have 2 feeders, one is plastic container and I didn't see anything in the feeder but these things are outside of the plastic feeder. The other feeder is a metal open feeder and that's where I first found these things.
The plastic feeder is elevated off the ground and I have wooden platform for them to access the feeder and it looks like these things made home in between these wooden platforms.
I think spider web looking thing and black dropping looking things are also from these bugs. When I saw zoomed in image, I jumped out of my seat and looked at it again. I don't think it's mice droppings. It's way too small and the run is wrapped around in hardware cloth from top to bottom.

We've been getting a lot of rains. We had heavy rain about two weeks ago and it's been raining everyday in the past week. Two walls of the run is not protected from the rain. I left it open for ventilation. I've been adding more pine shavings and straws but these two sides get damp quickly whenever it rains. I'm thinking about closing those walls as well and maybe leave top portion open for ventilation.

Chickies seems unaffected so far. I don't see any bite marks, no excessive scratching, playing normal, etc. I'm getting DE right now. Not sure how to apply it. I cleaned the wooden platforms. Do I spread it around the run and around the feeder? It's food grade but how much is too much? I wanna make sure I don't accidentally hurt the babies.
I don't know it's the wetness that caused it or having them cooped up in the run (due to rain) caused it. How do I prevent this?
I'm going to replace the roof panels that are longer than the current ones so the rain falls off a little further away from the walls. Any recommendations appreciated!

 

[nuthatched]

D.e is useless and dangerous for you and your birds to breathe.
The first one in just a red spider mite, harmless and the second may fleas from mice.

 

[ChickenMomsince2025]

I think they're all same bugs. I'm pretty sure first photo is taken after killing one of them off the wood. I chilled out on DE. I thought food grade ones were safe.

I found these spider mites in the plastic container feeder too. Can chickies still eat it? It's creepy but if they're harmless.. Do these bugs spoil the feed?

D.e is useless and dangerous for you and your birds to breathe.
The first one in just a red spider mite, harmless and the second may fleas from mice.

 

[nuthatched]

I think they're all same bugs. I'm pretty sure first photo is taken after killing one of them off the wood. I chilled out on DE. I thought food grade ones were safe.

I found these spider mites in the plastic container feeder too. Can chickies still eat it? It's creepy but if they're harmless.. Do these bugs spoil the feed?

If they're in the feed, the feed may have already been old. But if it smells fine, I wouldn't worry. Chickens love bugs, they'll eat them.
All d.e is not harmless.

 

[ChickenMomsince2025]

Thanks. I dumped the feed last night. I think i have enough grower feed in the storage until they need layer feed. I think the feeder is too big for my need. It was a gift I feel bad for not using it.
Do you leave the feed in the run or do you remove it after chickies gone to the coop for the night? I've been leaving it in the run, but maybe that's attracting unwanted?

 

[Folly's place]

I have feeders in the coop/ roofed run, and don't pick them up at night. Am I up a dawn when the birds start eating? No way!
Always check the mill date on each bag of feed, we want to use it up within two or at most three months of the mill date! Thern, store it in the original bag in a garbage can or other chew proof container (no plastic!).
Grain mites, not a fan. In small numbers, harmless but in large numbers, really not good. Who needs bugs in anyone's feed? Yuck!
Poultry lice or mites will be on the birds when you check them at night while roosting, with a flashlight.
Then permethrin spray or dust is the answer.
We put some permethrin dust on the coop floor under the bedding after a coop cleanout. At least the invading mice won't have ticks or other bugs!
Mary

 

[ChickenMomsince2025]

Thanks!