I have a hen sitting on eggs and up until a couple of days ago, she would go out and dust bathe. Today she had her first chick! However, when I put my hand under her to look, my hand came back out with what I assume are mites. I been gently checking under each day and this is the first time I've seen this, but there now seems to be a lot. Is there anything I can do. Like I said, she has one chick now and I saw evidence another is making it's way (a pip?) soon. Thanks!
Broody hen, mites, and chicks hatching now (lost one)
- Thread starter PupsNHens
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My broody last year had a ton of little red mites right after they hatched. I'd I'd never seen them before and it was a complete shock. I didn't notice until the chicks were 2-3 days old. So a little different then you are experiencing.
Here's what I did. Started by completely stripping down the 8x8 box stall they were in. Wooden sided were sprayed generously with Manna Pro Poultry Protector. I dumped down diatomaceous earth on the ground and sides before putting down clean bedding. Anything plastic, like the dog crate they hatched in, was hosed, bleached, and sprayed with poultry protect.
The hen got a generous dose of Poultry Protect, and dusted with DE and Y-TEX Gardstar Garden & Poultry Dust. I dusted each chick(14!) individually with the DE and Poultry Dust. The Y-TEX Gardstar Garden & Poultry Dust has some heavy insecticides and I was hesitant about using it on young chick. Ultimately I decided that the mites were the greater evil and used a generous pinch under wing and around the vents.
About 1 day after treatment we stopped seeing mites. I would check for mites at night as that's when they really come out. I gave everyone a second dose of DE and Poultry Dust after 2 weeks to catch any hangers on. I've continued to use Poultry Dust on my whole flock ever few months and use DE in nest boxes or when new bedding is put down.
I hope this offers you hope. It's a nasty problem but very much controllable.
Here's what I did. Started by completely stripping down the 8x8 box stall they were in. Wooden sided were sprayed generously with Manna Pro Poultry Protector. I dumped down diatomaceous earth on the ground and sides before putting down clean bedding. Anything plastic, like the dog crate they hatched in, was hosed, bleached, and sprayed with poultry protect.
The hen got a generous dose of Poultry Protect, and dusted with DE and Y-TEX Gardstar Garden & Poultry Dust. I dusted each chick(14!) individually with the DE and Poultry Dust. The Y-TEX Gardstar Garden & Poultry Dust has some heavy insecticides and I was hesitant about using it on young chick. Ultimately I decided that the mites were the greater evil and used a generous pinch under wing and around the vents.
About 1 day after treatment we stopped seeing mites. I would check for mites at night as that's when they really come out. I gave everyone a second dose of DE and Poultry Dust after 2 weeks to catch any hangers on. I've continued to use Poultry Dust on my whole flock ever few months and use DE in nest boxes or when new bedding is put down.
I hope this offers you hope. It's a nasty problem but very much controllable.
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- #4
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- #5
If it was an excellent broody I'd treat the hen/chicks and move them with eggs to a clean box with new DE dusted bedding. If the broody was questionable or unproven I'd leave them until hatch is complete then treat as mentioned above. It's totally up to you and your hen.
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- #7
Thanks! I think I'll start with a light dusting of DE in the box and on Button since it is the most gentle and hopefully that will help until the babies hatch. Button has been very good at this, but I'd rather not disrupt her any more than necessary right now.
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- #9
I have the poultry dust, but I hesitate to use such a strong insecticide on chicks that are in the process of hatching. Even the poultry protector says not to use it on chick less than 10 days old. Once the eggs have hatched, I'll treat the pen I have her in and replace the nest box. Do you know when it is safe to use the permethrin on new born chicks? The container doesn't say.
Maybe treat just the hen? I've used the powder on week old chicks and they were fine.
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