Mites from food or chicks?

[kmpcfp]

I have a bag of Nutrena Nature Wise chick starter that has been leaning up next to the chick brooder in the house. I have had the bag of food in the house for like a month. Today I noticed there were thousands of mites/tiny bugs all over the bag of chick food. I didn't notice any on the chicks or in the brooder, but they are so tiny I am not sure. I checked the entire room they were in and didnt see them anywhere except right by or on the bag of food.

I scrubbed everything down but now I am paranoid. One of the chicks feathers that I picked up from Tractor Supply last Tuesday are looking thinned out to me now. The chicks that they are with that I hatched out 3 weeks ago look fine though.

Anyway anyone know what these are? I have a video but I couldn't figure out how to post that.

This is the chick with thin feathers that I got from Tractor Supply a week ago. However she is also super friendly and my kids handle her every day multiple times a day because she runs up and jumps into their hands all the time when they are out, it's possible that could also be the reason.

These are chicks that I hatched out a bit over three weeks ago that are in the same brooder whose feathers look fine:

A 2.5 week old chick in same brooder.

Another Tractor Supply buff orpington chick that is not as friendly so doesn't get handled as often. Her feathers look nicer, but they still look thin to me, maybe that's just the nature of hatchery chicks?

 

[Auntiejessi3]

If you want to post a video you need to upload it to youtube then paste the link here. Idk what those are, hopefully some others will chime in. I'd definitely get that bag out of your house though

 

[kmpcfp]

If you want to post a video you need to upload it to youtube then paste the link here. Idk what those are, hopefully some others will chime in. I'd definitely get that bag out of your house

Oh yeah, the first thing I did was throw it outside.

Here is a zoomed in picture the best I could get without pulling out a microscope.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

@aart what do you think these are?

 

[aart]

@aart what do you think these are?

Looks like grain mites.
One thing DE can help eradicate if mixed heavily into the feed.
Here's some of my experience with them:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/grain-mites.981212/

 

[kmpcfp]

Looks like grain mites.
One thing DE can help eradicate if mixed heavily into the feed.
Here's some of my experience with them:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/grain-mites.981212/

Yes! That's exactly what they are. Nutrena is sending me a replacement bag coupon. Luckily the bags of All Flock that I have in the coop are unaffected as they were bought at different times. I have encountered mildew/mold issues in chicken feed from TSC and have learned to watch out for visible spores on the bag seams, but the mites are definitely new to me.

 

[samanthaoverton]

Ugh..I hate hatching grain eating bugs..that happened to some noodles one time. Hard noodles..some little bugs..weren't even expired. Bowel weavels are gross too..They like rice crispies. A lot of the time heat can set them off..

 

[aart]

Yes! That's exactly what they are. Nutrena is sending me a replacement bag coupon. Luckily the bags of All Flock that I have in the coop are unaffected as they were bought at different times. I have encountered mildew/mold issues in chicken feed from TSC and have learned to watch out for visible spores on the bag seams, but the mites are definitely new to me.

Odd to see them this time of year tho.
I usually see them in the summer when it's hot and humid.

Have never seen mold in Flock Raiser, and only sometimes do I see the mites on the outside of the bag because they keep them wiped down.

Do you check for manufacturing dates before buying?

 

[kmpcfp]

Odd to see them this time of year tho.
I usually see them in the summer when it's hot and humid.

Have never seen mold in Flock Raiser, and only sometimes do I see the mites on the outside of the bag because they keep them wiped down.

Do you check for manufacturing dates before buying?

This bag was manufactured on December 22. I bought it on February 5th and started using it on the 12th, so it really wasn't that old. We had two days in a row with 70+ degrees and it got up to 78 in the house yesterday, so maybe that's what triggered them.

The mold I have only encountered during the summer and I think it was an issue with my local TSC that they finally resolved, as it wasn't a problem I noticed last year.