Either it Mites or I'm crazy!

Dina k · Sep 13, 2013

I had been around chicken my whole life, family and friends had them. I will be the first ti admit that I don't know a lot about raise chickens from babies. And I am new to Back yard chicken. I read the post look through everything. This is the first time I have had chickens from"scratch", my own babies. My coop is brand new as is every thing in it. On Tuesday my babies arrived from My Pet Chickens. Well one came with an eye infection and cross beak. When I was pulling them out of the box I noticed that one of my Giant' s had something on the back of her little neck. I THOUGHT that one of the other chicks had pooed on her. So I tried to wipe it off. I have been watch it very closely every day. I have looked at her neck three or four times today because I knew that what I was seeing was wrong. I SWEAR that baby has mites. I have seen this on adults but never on a baby that is less than a week old! What else could it be. And how do I treat it on a baby????? Please I need help with this one!

sumi · Sep 14, 2013

I can't believe MPC would send you a chick with a cross beak?? What the heck? Can you post a pic of what you're seeing on the chick that you suspect has mites? Mites are tiny little things, so if you say you thought it was poop at first, I think it may be just that, or something she picked up somewhere. But have a look around their faces, under their wings and legs as well. See if there is anything crawling around there.

Dina k · Sep 14, 2013

Thanks for the reply. I called our vet who also takes care of birds. He asked me several questions .does the back of the neck have a "wet" appearance? Check, I pulled her out of the shipping box like that and that's why I thought one of the other chicks had pooed one her. Does it look like her feathers are thinning? Check. Can you see any mites? No bit it looks like she has tiny grains of sand on the wet area on her neck. He said bring her in and let me have a look. Ok well,... she has what he called Northern mites and that they are very easily transmitted from mother to baby. I told him where I got them from and don't really know how they hatch they eggs. I told him that no other bird has been in my coop because it is bran new and don't really understand how she could have gotten the mites. Unless she got them on the plane or they sell mites at Menards now because that is were all the wood came from to build the coop. He told me what to do. He said that they can't live without a host so to remove the chicks from the coop and told me how to treat and take care of my BRAN NEW NEVER USED coop and babies. I not happy right now. I chose My pet chickens because of all of the good things I had read about them. Not only to I get a chick that has a eye infection and cross beck but I get mites as well. I tried to call them but was on hold for 35 minutes. I have already fallen in love with one little one eyed cross beck beauty for whom I have named Annabell , and she is thriving by the way . I truly love all of my babies. I'm calling My pet chickens today or I going to try . When you call, it says that you wit on hold or eave a message and some one will get back with you well its been two days and still no response from them. The only time I got a hold of them was on Wednesday when I call about Annabell's beck being off set. They refunded my money for her. I will try to get a good picture of her little beck.