My Broody Hen and Lice/Mites

[SunflowerTheBun]

Thanks so much, I'll see what I can do.
Living in Aus, can someone tell me where I can get some good dust?

 

[Shezadandy]

I would think wherever you find your chicken feed may be a good source- - many products are "garden and poultry dust" -- the important part is the permethrin as the active ingredient.
So alternatively, any kind of garden center (because you can use this stuff on vegetable plants too), maybe hardware store?

Here's an example:

http://www.qcsupply.com/prozap-gard...m=1100310941973&utm_content=Products Ad Group

 

[SunflowerTheBun]

Thanks, yes we are going to get some soon and will treat asap

 

[rebrascora]

Poor girl! She deserves a medal for continuing to set those eggs when the nest is crawling with lice, so if there is the faintest possibility that they will hatch (you do have a rooster don't you?), then give her the opportunity to achieve something from her dedication and stoicism, rather than break her at this late stage, but do dust her and the nest and the coop pronto and create a dust bath area for your chickens, so that they can rid themselves of these horrible parasites.
My broodies will dash off for a dust bath almost every day during their broody break.
I hope you manage to get it sorted soon and that she gets the reward of some chicks from her dedication to hatch those eggs.

Good luck

Barbara

 

[SunflowerTheBun]

Thanks, yes I will definitely be congratulating her when she decideds to give up sitting there!
Yes we do have a rooster but he's not even a year old yet so we don't think the eggs will hatch for her. Anyway, to have a healthy chicken back would be prize enough, though she's not showing any symptoms of being ill.

 

[aart]

Thanks, yes I will definitely be congratulating her when she decideds to give up sitting there!
Yes we do have a rooster but he's not even a year old yet so we don't think the eggs will hatch for her. Anyway, to have a healthy chicken back would be prize enough, though she's not showing any symptoms of being ill.

Ummm....cockerels are fertile by about 6 months on average.

Have you been checking your yolks when breaking eggs to eat?
See examples here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

 

[Shezadandy]

Thanks, yes I will definitely be congratulating her when she decideds to give up sitting there!
Yes we do have a rooster but he's not even a year old yet so we don't think the eggs will hatch for her. Anyway, to have a healthy chicken back would be prize enough, though she's not showing any symptoms of being ill.

We started seeing fertile eggs when our roosters turned about 6 months. Of the 11 eggs we set under the last broody, they all progressed, and that was over 16 hens. (ultimately we got 8 chicks that hatched)

It's very important to know that while she's not *showing* symptoms of being sick or weak, chickens do their very best to not show pain or discomfort.

Apparent weakness/illness/injury can trigger her flockmates to attack her, sometimes even fatally-- so she'll do anything she can to not look sick until it's impossible for her to hide it. Hens lose a lot of weight when they brood, so I can only imagine that the mites are draining her reserves.

 

[SunflowerTheBun]

Thanks everyone for your input. Despite all our doubts, today all 7 of the eggs hatched and we now have 7 multicoloured very healthy fluffy chickens. 100% success rate! Hopefully they will live on happily. I will send pictures soon. We will also be treating first-time mama for mites asap plus dusting the other chooks, chicks and nest boxes. We're so excited!!!

Edit: P.S. Yes our rooster is over 6 months old.

 

[Shezadandy]

Thanks everyone for your input. Despite all our doubts, today all 7 of the eggs hatched and we now have 7 multicoloured very healthy fluffy chickens. 100% success rate! Hopefully they will live on happily. I will send pictures soon. We will also be treating first-time mama for mites asap plus dusting the other chooks, chicks and nest boxes. We're so excited!!!

Edit: P.S. Yes our rooster is over 6 months old.

Congratulations!

 

[SunflowerTheBun]

Congratulations!

Thank you! We hardly expected them to hatch at all, let alone all of 'em!
I have also dusted her now, but not the nest - we are worried the chicks might eat it.