mites??

[lil cheepers]

So I have found these very small, round, black/brown bugs on the eggs in our coop. Not on every egg and I can't find anything on the chickens themselves. I've cleaned out two of the next boxes and laid new hay. Just did the third next box today. I have two hens that have been sitting on eggs so I don't know if it is combination of them sitting on the eggs and pooping there more often? Also, one hen has left her group of eggs twice, which both times is when I found the bugs. I don't know if she left the eggs because of the bugs?

I have looked at pics and they don't look like lice or the red mites. I live in New England.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank YOU!!!

 

[Judy]

There is one type of lice or mites that only gets on the birds at night. I would try checking them off the roost with a flashlight. I don't know much else about the various species. Maybe this will help

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[lil cheepers]

Thanks. I did see some on one of my hens now though just a few. I guess I will start with some of the treatments and see what works!! Thank you.

 

[lil cheepers]

So I am still having problems with mites. They are not red. I see them in the daytime a lot of times on eggs that no chick is sitting on. And they are on the hens around the vent area. They don't look like the red mites and I don't see any clumping like the northern fowl mites. They are not infested but I still want them gone. I've tried DE in the coop and oral Ivomec on the birds last week. They still have them. I've read many other posts here and elsewhere about what to do but I guess I am mainly unsure of what type of mite I am dealing with. I also have three little two week old babies in with their momma that I am concerned about during any type of treatment. Any thoughts?

 

[casportpony]

I noticed that mites like the warmth of the eggs, so I think that's why you can see them in the daytime.

-Kathy

 

[snowflake]

do you have a good dust bath for your hens? sand dirt,peat moss and wood ash seems to work real well, some put 7's and or DE in the dust bath, I did just read an article saying DE is bad for the birds respiratory so I may stop using it, Wood ash is very good though in the dus bath and seems to smother most bugsI use about 1/3 each wood ash,peat,and sand

 

[casportpony]

Dust birds, spray coop.

 

[lil cheepers]

Thank you for your suggestions. I did only put the DE in the coop under the hay in the nest boxes because of the respiratory concerns. I never heard of the wood ash but I will try that. And maybe some of the other dust baths. Do you think I should be worried about the baby chickens around these dustings and sprays??

 

[Brookliner]

Thank you for your suggestions. I did only put the DE in the coop under the hay in the nest boxes because of the respiratory concerns. I never heard of the wood ash but I will try that. And maybe some of the other dust baths. Do you think I should be worried about the baby chickens around these dustings and sprays??

I would use the poultry dust in the coop and nest boxes especially with the chicks. the mites will suck the blood of the chicks and kill them quickly. The dust should take care of the mites in the nest.

 

[casportpony]

I would use the poultry dust in the coop and nest boxes especially with the chicks. the mites will suck the blood of the chicks and kill them quickly. The dust should take care of the mites in the nest.

X2.