Hello, my broody hen hatched out three chickens about a week ago. A couple of days ago, I picked up one of the chicks, and to my horror, found tiny little white bugs crawling around the chick's vent. The bugs were also going inside, and that's when I started to freak out. I also noticed the mother hen having these crawl around her face whilst she was incubating the eggs too. Someone recommended that I use some Vaseline (petroleum jelly) around the chicks' vent, legs, groin, and on the head, as soon as possible. I really love my chicks, and they are looking really quite healthy, and just about all of them were dust bathing today. I am not sure if the Vaseline is the right treatment, and I really want to treat this as soon as possible. I have also heard of this 'Sevin' powder/dust, but I do not know where to get that from. I also do not know how to treat the nest box or anything. The nesting box is wood, with some straw for bedding. Please help, I have no idea what to do, and I really do not want to lose my precious chicks. Thank you!
I don't know much about it, but I do know you will need to clean out the nest boxes completely including bedding/straw. I can get Sevin dust at Tractor supply Co. (If you don't have that then maybe a garden store or somewhere you get poultry feed) You will need to treat the nest boxes really well. Edited to add: you sprinkle the dust in the nest boxes making sure to get any cracks or crevices really well..
