half hatched dead with mites? what should i do for the others??

[brook holt]

i have 2 broody hens and one has stolen all the eggs (long story) anyway 2 chicks have hatched the hen with no eggs is happily looking after them while the other is sitting on eggs.
there was a dead half hatched chick with these little mites ALL over it, i removed it and moved the hen and 2 chicks AWAY from the other hen with the eggs.

what are the mites? what should i do to save the other eggs and chicks, can i get rid of it???

please let me know anything on this subject thanks.

 

[coach723]

First, try to ID the critter you are seeing, this may help:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/
Broody hens are very attractive to mites and lice, since they are stationary for such a long time.
With mites you have to treat the birds, and clean out and treat the coop to get rid of them. It's not optimal to have to treat the chicks, but if they've got mites then you will have to. A product containing permethrin is most common here, don't know what you have available in NZ. You can also use Elector PSP, if that's available there, it is more expensive. For the chicks I'd be inclined to use a powder rather than a liquid so they don't get chilled.
This post on another forum may be helpful also, scroll down to the third post:
http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7995626

 

[brook holt]

another chick hatched and is healthy, i put it under the hen with the other chicks, it didn't seem to have mites, lifted the hen with eggs and there is another hatching, not sure if its dead but i saw mites on other eggs, not sure what to do, should i remove it? really concerned

 

[JaeG]

You'll need to treat the mites. There isn't much available here in NZ (I've tried Smite which was useless and don't get me started on diatomaceous earth) and there's very little you can get at a physical shop.

I found neem oil worked well to treat the coop and you could make it up into a spray to do the chickens/chicks with (make sure it's pure neem with no added pesticides). I mixed up half neem, half warm water and painted the inside of the coop. I only had to do that once, whereas with other products you have to keep treating weekly until you've broken the life cycle. Neem stops them at all stages. The coop is the main one to concentrate on as mites hide away during the day in cracks and crevices and under bedding and come out of hiding at night to feast on your birds, though broodies provide a 24/7 buffet. For the birds I'd make up a 5-10% solution to spray on them.

Vetafarm also do a spray (you can buy it as a concentrate as well) thats called Avian Insect Liquidator. I've only ever bought it online. It's an Australian product that is the permethrin with a couple of other active ingredients that make it more effective, giving up to 6 weeks protection. It's safe to spray on finch chicks so safe for chicken chicks. The only time you wouldn't use it is if you are intending to eventually eat the bird/s you are spraying.

Infestations can be caused by wild birds or rodents getting into the coop. Do wear insect repellent when you clean out the coop as I got bitten by the mites pretty bad and had a very itchy Christmas. Also shower straight after and wash your clothes in hot water to prevent transferring any mites inside. Strip off in the shower, stick your clothes in a plastic bag, add some fly spray to the bag and wash them as soon as you've showered.

They are not nice to deal with so you have my sympathies.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Follow Coach's advice.
It isn't optimal timing with concurrent hatching but you may need to relocate the setter and her eggs to a clean nest. The mites won't go away as long as they have birds to feed on.

 

[brook holt]

I've moved the hen with the chicks to a clean and different part of the section, hen on eggs looks pretty sick. ill go out to farmlands in the morning and try to pick some stuff up. i don't want to put any chemicals onto chicks because so young
but ill clean the coop although my coops pretty old and i plan on getting a new one, thanks for the help, ill try use the methods

 

[coach723]

Hope you are able to find something to treat with. Your sitting hen sounds like she desperately needs to be treated. The mites can cause anemia and death if not treated. Once you get past this it would be a good idea to start doing regular checks of your birds, especially sitting broodies, so you catch it early if you have another outbreak. Best of luck to you.