Bugs on eggs

[bswilson]

We've got a few RIR and a couple of Buff Orpingtons who range in age from 1 to 3 years old. We live in Eastern Massachusetts. They've all been healthy, productive layers, but recently we've been finding tiny bugs on some of the eggs. They're very small and slow moving and easy to squish.
They're so tiny it's hard to get a good photo of them, so this is the best I could do:




We fully cleaned out the coop and run and spread a bunch of DE around, and I put some clean sand in a covered spot in the run to allow the chickens to take dirt baths (although I'm not sure that they've used it as it's been cold and wet lately).

Are these mites? Is this something we should be concerned about? I caught and checked one of the chickens for bugs but didn't see anything, although I didn't go over her with a fine-toothed comb.

 

[JulieNKC]

I have seen those on my eggs a few times. Checked my birds thoroughly and never saw any on them, came to the conclusion they were straw/itch mites in my case. Nasty things, unlike chicken mites they also bite people. Later I found them in the bag of pine shavings I'd just bought, switched feed stores and haven't had a problem since. Check the bedding you are using, I was pretty upset to find I was just adding fresh bugs when I was cleaning the coop! Since they don't live on the chickens you'll have to treat the coop, I used sevin dust, so can't say how effective de is on them. There are also species of mites which come out at night to feed on the chickens, so you wont find them on them during the day but may at night with a flashlight. Good luck!

 

[aart]

Hmm...not sure if mites squish easy or not...or if they move fast or slow.
Do they squish red, like a blood eater would?

Hope someone who knows for sure can give a viable answer....not all bugs are bad.

 

[bswilson]

They do squish red. They seem to be very slow moving as well.

 

[Lindajessjill]

I've occasionally found these bugs on my hand, and sometimes even walking across my cell phone screen. GROSS! And today, there were dozens of them on the eggs that I collected. Some of my girls lay in one box and some lay in a different box. Only one of the boxes eggs' were infested.
I obviously have to treat my chickens and the coop. But is there a particular name for these nasty creatures, or are they just considered "mites?"

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Are they black pin point bugs

 

[Messipaw]

Following. I'm curious

 

[chickengeorgeto]

They are Red Mites. Red mites live in the cracks and crannies of the coop and in the wood of the roost pole. Unless you can spread DE all the way up to the rafters it will do little good because Red Mites only come out after dark to suck your birds blood. Good Luck.

You normally will not find Red Mites on your birds because they don't live there. Red mites are capable of killing a sitting hen because she is available 24/7 for the mites to feed on.