- Oct 9, 2014
- 10
- 14
- 77
I'll keep this short, a chook of mine went clucky 3 weeks ago, I decided to put 7 eggs of various breeds under her. It's now been 20 days and this mourning I heard cheeping sounds coming from the eggs. 9 hours later when I went to check up on them 1 of the eggs had hatched. The chick looked healthy and all looked well so I thought I'd leave them be for the time being.
Then I noticed there where a few small red dots on the mother, I soon realized she was absolutely covered in lice, and that there where some on the beak of the chick.
I was shocked, all my other chookuns are perfectly clean, they bathe many times a day and I hadn't seen any sign of parasites since when I got them, about a year ago. God knows how the mother got these.
Last time I checked, 2 or so hours ago, a second egg was hatching.
I considered moving the unhatched eggs to a uncontaminated location but I have neither a incubator nor another clucky chook at hand.
I do however have 3 other hens who are sleeping right now.
I don't know what the hell to do, I don't want the chicks getting mites, but I can't take them away from the infested mother.
Then I noticed there where a few small red dots on the mother, I soon realized she was absolutely covered in lice, and that there where some on the beak of the chick.
I was shocked, all my other chookuns are perfectly clean, they bathe many times a day and I hadn't seen any sign of parasites since when I got them, about a year ago. God knows how the mother got these.
Last time I checked, 2 or so hours ago, a second egg was hatching.
I considered moving the unhatched eggs to a uncontaminated location but I have neither a incubator nor another clucky chook at hand.
I do however have 3 other hens who are sleeping right now.
I don't know what the hell to do, I don't want the chicks getting mites, but I can't take them away from the infested mother.