Mites in Broody Coop

[mishka brownley]

When I clean out the nest box completely and make new bedding , I put a layer of sand mixed with a little diatomaceous earth underneath the shavings/hay.
The effect of DE is that it kills the larvae of the red mites. Not the adult red mites or the red mite eggs.
Maybe it helps to keep the red mite out if you move the hens/eggs to the third coop.

Please keep us updated.

Thanks! I have been dusting the floor of the coop with DE and permethrin dust before I lay new shavings down. I'm definitely going to move them. I might actually wash the one broody and give her eggs to the other if it breaks her broodiness. She was covered in mites this morning (I've been spraying all of the cracks in their coop with oil/water and I guess they've been flushed out, but now they're climbing on the birds.)

 

[mishka brownley]

Don't put DE in a broody coop!
If you are sure you have red mites then that's a coop problem, not a bird problem. A sever red mite problem takes many treatments to sort out. Some keepers find it is easier in the long run to burn the coop and start again. Of course, a lot depends on the size and type of coop you have.

It is for sure a coop problem. When we built this coop, we knew very little, besides what we read online about chicken keeping. There are so many places for mites to hide, that are near impossible to flush out. I've treated with Elector PSP multiple times, used pressure washers, permethrin sprays, poultry dust, ivermectin etc etc and we have a bit of success each time, but they ways return . I'm not quite ready to burn the coop down - it's pretty sizeable and cost a lot to build. But that might be the outcome one day...

 

[FC16]

Just make sure you continue to treat the coop daily until those eggs hatch, and regularly check the broodies too, as mentioned the mites will be particularly dangerous to the chicks. But obviously can be dangerous to the hens too, broody hens are more at risk to mites than non-broody hens I’ve found from experience.
I had a Silkie girl who was very broody and determined trying to hatch eggs, I really didn’t want to disturb her much so I never really candled the eggs much and rarely even checked on her (my mistake 100%, was a while back when I was new to chicken keeping). When they’re broody they’re obviously just laying in 1 spot all day and all night, so if there’s mites underneath them they’ll multiply rapidly and just feast away at the bird. Honestly you wouldn’t think it but they can kill the bird in a matter of days if they’re broody, as I discovered the hard way with my Silkie girl.

Hopefully you can eliminate them and good luck with the hatch

 

[Shadrach]

It is for sure a coop problem. When we built this coop, we knew very little, besides what we read online about chicken keeping. There are so many places for mites to hide, that are near impossible to flush out. I've treated with Elector PSP multiple times, used pressure washers, permethrin sprays, poultry dust, ivermectin etc etc and we have a bit of success each time, but they ways return . I'm not quite ready to burn the coop down - it's pretty sizeable and cost a lot to build. But that might be the outcome one day...

Yup, it's a serious problem in the large wooden coops that seem popular here. They're great until some mites move in. Most are almost impossible to clean properly as you're finding out. Nobody I know in the UK or in Catalonia builds these types of coops.

 

[mishka brownley]

My broody girls have been bathed, dried till fluffy and warm and then dusted with permethrin again. I put them in the backup coop (which I preemptively sprayed down with permethrin yesterday, just in case there were any mites hiding in there). Thankfully they both went right back to sitting and all is well in that regard. I will certainly keep checking them and dusting daily and continue to dose them with ivermectin for the next three weeks. If I see any mites on the babies once they hatch, I will brood them inside, although I'm really trying to avoid this if possible! Thanks for the input everyone!