Help! Red Mites + Broody Hen Incubating Eggs

[jamiep1984]

Help! I discovered red mites in my coop where I have a broody hen incubating some eggs to hatch. I noticed them and did a huge clean just before she started sitting on these eggs, sprayed down the coop, roosts, and run with permethrin 10, dunked all the girls in the permethrin 10 (diluted per the instructions on the container ), changed out all of the bedding in the coop and sprinkled DE and First Saturday lime everywhere, including on roosts. 3 days into her sitting on these eggs, I go into the coop and these mites were already back with a vengeance. UGH!

We’re day 11 into these eggs and I’m worried for my broody hen and want to move her. I had previously tried to relocate her nest by moving her eggs but she didn’t go for it at all, she went back to her original spot despite there being no eggs there! Is there any way I can get her to accept a new nest location? I candled the eggs and they are developing nicely and I’m hoping she can carry them the rest of the way but if I leave her sitting in this spot I can’t treat the coop again (I need to go even more ham this time) and she’ll get bitten up and the chicks will too when they hatch. But if I move her it seems like it may broody break her.

Has anyone had success moving their broody hen and how did you do it? Also open to any tips on the red mites situation.

 

[Perris]

Normally I would caution against moving a broody mid incubation, but in the circumstances you describe, I would move her and her eggs into something like a cat carrier, and shut her in, so she cannot not sit on the eggs, while you attend to the mite situation in the coop.

This is the sort of thing I have in mind

If you put food and water and dust bath for her nearby, for her sole use when she comes off for daily ablutions, it could even work for the duration, once she's settled into it. Move her during the day, as at night you risk moving some mites with/on her.

 

[BDutch]

Who uses this coop beside the broody? How is your setup and where do you keep other chickens?

For the broody, in your situation I think I would buy a prefab with small run instead of a cat carrier for the broody + eggs (or if you can easily start again toss the eggs). Start to paint the inside of the nestbox and add sand with de under the bedding. Keep the broody in the nestbox area until she accepts the new place. Add mite control rolls to check.

You have a nasty infestation and need to treat the original coop weekly, break down every part that is screwed on to see if mite eggs are hiding.
What I did: Clean thoroughly twice and smear a lot of diatom earth ‘paint’ after cleaning on all the surfaces, especially in the cracks where the egg mites can be. New nymphs keep coming for several weeks/months if you cant reach all the hiding places. The DE kills nymphs, not the hidden eggs.
Check on new tiny mites daily. Make mite control rolls with corrugated paper to be sure you are improving. Put the control rolls in the microwave to reuse them. The whole story is in my thread (https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...breeding-projects-5-🪺-🪺-and-6.1574045/page-11).
It was a lot of work for a month or so and used very little permethrin. I have no red mites since.