Hi everyone!
First time broody experience here. How can something so exciting and beautiful be stressful?!? Its day 22 for my broody hen. Two eggs have hatched so far with four more to go. Two days ago I noticed mites in the dog crate I'm keeping her in within the chicken coop. I put my hand in the bedding and they started crawling all over. My husband and I did our best to clear out some of the bedding without disturbing her seeing that it was day 20. We also sprinkled some DE and Poultry Garden Dust around the dog crate but not directly in her nest to avoid disturbing her. The mites are still there! I checked in miss broody today, and she is looking rough. Very pale and her eyes aren't as open and bright as they usually are. My gut is telling me to move her completely. We have a stock tank in the garage that we use as a brooder sometimes and that's where I would move her and the nest to. Is it safe to move her, the chicks, and the remaining eggs? I don't want to hurt the eggs that are still left to hatch. Also with it being day 22 will eggs still hatch? I've read as many threads I could find on here and it seems hatching can be all over the place. Help!
First time broody experience here. How can something so exciting and beautiful be stressful?!? Its day 22 for my broody hen. Two eggs have hatched so far with four more to go. Two days ago I noticed mites in the dog crate I'm keeping her in within the chicken coop. I put my hand in the bedding and they started crawling all over. My husband and I did our best to clear out some of the bedding without disturbing her seeing that it was day 20. We also sprinkled some DE and Poultry Garden Dust around the dog crate but not directly in her nest to avoid disturbing her. The mites are still there! I checked in miss broody today, and she is looking rough. Very pale and her eyes aren't as open and bright as they usually are. My gut is telling me to move her completely. We have a stock tank in the garage that we use as a brooder sometimes and that's where I would move her and the nest to. Is it safe to move her, the chicks, and the remaining eggs? I don't want to hurt the eggs that are still left to hatch. Also with it being day 22 will eggs still hatch? I've read as many threads I could find on here and it seems hatching can be all over the place. Help!