I have grain mites AGAIN?!?!?!?!

[Painted Calls]

I couldn’t find the mill dates and the worker didn’t really know. The bag I got said something about October but I don’t think that was the right date to look at.

The mill date is usually on the seam on the bottom of the bag. It will be a bunch of numbers now since they switched to using the Julian calendar.

Thread 'Purina’s new mill date code uses Julian calendar' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/purina’s-new-mill-date-code-uses-julian-calendar.1512277/

 

[Annalyse]

Update: the feed from ACE was very much infested with mites. The bucket was COVERED in them. I don’t know what to do know. I hate hunk I’m going to try and change brands if I can find something. I have no feed for the chickens right now. I’d rather not let them eat the poop and dust from the mites. We’re returning the feed back to the store but I can’t keep buying and wasting the feed.

 

[Painted Calls]

Update: the feed from ACE was very much infested with mites. The bucket was COVERED in them. I don’t know what to do know. I hate hunk I’m going to try and change brands if I can find something. I have no feed for the chickens right now. I’d rather not let them eat the poop and dust from the mites. We’re returning the feed back to the store but I can’t keep buying and wasting the feed.

Nutrena makes a similar feed but it usually comes in pellet form. I personally wouldn't buy food from Ace, as that food is likely 5 times older than what TSC carries.

If TSC is your closest feed store, go there and tell them you want something FRESH and with close to the same amount of protein. I have also switched out for non-medicated starters. I have found that most crumbles are infested with mites from my local TSC though. I now feed duck pellets (no more chickens), and have seen zero issues so far. I'm not sure if that's because pellets are less favored by mites or what.

Make sure you're checking mill dates. That was my biggest life saver as far as mites when I was buying crumbles. If I went through feed faster, the freshest mill dates (less than a month old) wouldn't have succumb to mites. The old feed almost always is infested from the get-go.

 

[Annalyse]

Nutrena makes a similar feed but it usually comes in pellet form. I personally wouldn't buy food from Ace, as that food is likely 5 times older than what TSC carries.

If TSC is your closest feed store, go there and tell them you want something FRESH and with close to the same amount of protein. I have also switched out for non-medicated starters. I have found that most crumbles are infested with mites from my local TSC though. I now feed duck pellets (no more chickens), and have seen zero issues so far. I'm not sure if that's because pellets are less favored by mites or what.

Make sure you're checking mill dates. That was my biggest life saver as far as mites when I was buying crumbles. If I went through feed faster, the freshest mill dates (less than a month old) wouldn't have succumb to mites. The old feed almost always is infested from the get-go.

I’ve never fed the chickens pellets. I’ve always given them crumbles. What brand do you get? The outing mill dates are very confusing to me even after reading articles on it I could not figure it out. Do they make pellets for All flock. I have a rooster so I feed them all flock so he doesn’t eat too much calcium compared to laying feed

 

[Painted Calls]

I’ve never fed the chickens pellets. I’ve always given them crumbles. What brand do you get? The outing mill dates are very confusing to me even after reading articles on it I could not figure it out. Do they make pellets for All flock. I have a rooster so I feed them all flock so he doesn’t eat too much calcium compared to laying feed

I only have one chicken now and she eats the duck pellets. I've found that there is also much less waste with pellets. I'm a fan!

If you take a pic of the mill date and most it here, we can tell you how fresh it is. There is a chart in the thread I posted a link to. Takes some time, but once you get it - you got it.

I'm pretty sure they do, but I've never seen them.

 

[Annalyse]

I only have one chicken now and she eats the duck pellets. I've found that there is also much less waste with pellets. I'm a fan!

If you take a pic of the mill date and most it here, we can tell you how fresh it is. There is a chart in the thread I posted a link to. Takes some time, but once you get it - you got it.

I'm pretty sure they do, but I've never seen them.

I’m at TS right now and I’m not even liking every bag of feed oven like the fake eggs anything in the feed area is just covered in mites.

 

[Annalyse]

We have a freezer. If we store the feed we have now in the freezer would that kill off the mites?

 

[Painted Calls]

We have a freezer. If we store the feed we have now in the freezer would that kill off the mites?

I've heard that it does, but I do not know how accurate that info was.

 

[Annalyse]

I've heard that it does, but I do not know how accurate that info was.

We’re going to try it out with the feed we have that had mites in them. We’re gonna try our best to get rid of the mites in the bucket before putting it into the freezer. I’m might order online but idk how confident I am right now. I cannot be the only person seeing all these mites and people are putting these bags into their cars like are u not seeing thousand of mites crawling all over. I’ll update you on the freezer and see what happens.

 

[Painted Calls]

We’re going to try it out with the feed we have that had mites in them. We’re gonna try our best to get rid of the mites in the bucket before putting it into the freezer. I’m might order online but idk how confident I am right now. I cannot be the only person seeing all these mites and people are putting these bags into their cars like are u not seeing thousand of mites crawling all over. I’ll update you on the freezer and see what happens.

I look like a mental patient when I buy feed now. I examine each bag really thoroughly. Like a weirdo. Sorry - Grain mite PTSD!