Should I take the hatched chick from the broody hen? Staggered hatch

[uktech]

Has mama been treated with ivermectin or something? That would be brutal for her sitting that many days with lice. I do feel bad for mama... are you sure it’s not better to give her all of the babies now and you hatch the last eggs? I have read some good things about hatching younger babies and giving them to the mamas and it sounds like your mama is outstanding! Keep in mind, I know very very little about chickens... just throwing out some thoughts! I’ve been rooting for your chicken family for several days.

Thank you. Your thoughts are mirrored, however, worried about ruining it and having her rejecting the chicks.

I've only just seen the lice on the chicks after handling them so no treatment but reading up about it as I type. Just not sure what to use, and how to apply it etc. Rubbed the chicks with DE for now and sprinkled some over their bedding, but again, tentative. Not sure what the best course of action is or how best to do it.

 

[aart]

I've only just seen the lice on the chicks after handling them so no treatment but reading up about it as I type. Just not sure what to use, and how to apply it etc. Rubbed the chicks with DE for now and sprinkled some over their bedding, but again, tentative. Not sure what the best course of action is or how best to do it.

Live aren't as bad as mites, but you need something more than DE to get rid of them.
Several suggestions were made, even one product with permethrin that can be had in the UK.

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

Thank you. Your thoughts are mirrored, however, worried about ruining it and having her rejecting the chicks.

I've only just seen the lice on the chicks after handling them so no treatment but reading up about it as I type. Just not sure what to use, and how to apply it etc. Rubbed the chicks with DE for now and sprinkled some over their bedding, but again, tentative. Not sure what the best course of action is or how best to do it.

Nothing seems easy with chickens, does it? My chickens had lice and scaly mites on a couple (!!) prior to going broody and the one received her second dose of ivermectin while sitting. Treating the entire flock with Sevin was so hard. I loved the Ivermectin. Some drops on the necks at night and repeat in 10-14 days. I hope it worked! What’s your total number of babies as of now?

 

[uktech]

What’s your total number of babies as of now?

8 chicks with 4 eggs almost there. Any day now.

Ivermectin sounds like a good place to start. Can the chicks have the same treatment? I've seen application dosage (number of drops) based on the weight of the chicken. Guessing that's a no for chicks since they are so tiny?

Several suggestions were made, even one product with permethrin that can be had in the UK.

Trying to find the right product with permethrin in. Am I right in understanding that at the right dilution, it can be sprayed on the birds?

 

[aart]

Trying to find the right product with permethrin in. Am I right in understanding that at the right dilution, it can be sprayed on the birds?

Yes.
Needs to be sprayed, or dusted, on the skin under the feathers.
Around vent, on belly, under wings, and around neck.
Repeat every 7-10 days, until you see no more live bugs on birds.
It's very effective.

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

8 chicks with 4 eggs almost there. Any day now.

Ivermectin sounds like a good place to start. Can the chicks have the same treatment? I've seen application dosage (number of drops) based on the weight of the chicken. Guessing that's a no for chicks since they are so tiny?


Trying to find the right product with permethrin in. Am I right in understanding that at the right dilution, it can be sprayed on the birds?

I read something about one drop of ivermectin per chick somewhere, but you would have to confirm that. It would take quite a bit to overdose them. Once I realized that, I was much happier about giving it. It’s .05ml per pound. I gave my 3 pound chicken .2 ml (that was the same as 6 drops in the dropper I used) If a baby chick weighs 1/2 a pound (and obviously they do not!), 1 drop would be good. I would use a dropper with very small drops depending on baby chick weight. Remember that permitherin is deadly to cats!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Bless her, and thank you so much for your kind words. She, on the other hand, is not a happy mama at the moment.

View attachment 2692866

Had to take the remaining 3 from her too as this morning, after her poop break, she decided to just teach the chicks how to forage. Guided her back to her brooder coop but still, she ignored the eggs. At one point she went over to the eggs and then came back away from them and wandered off outside constantly talking to the 3 chicks. That's completely against her usual behaviour at the site of eggs so figured it was her way of changing focus.

Took the 3 chicks away and then observed for another half hour or so. It took her that long to then get settled back on the eggs, sort them out and sit tight. So sad to watch but had to be done. Day 31 for her and 3 more days to go. Fingers crossed.

Chicks are happy although they already have lice which is another problem to take care of Gave them a DE bath and sprinkled a load over their hemp bedding.

Her deciding to abandon the remaining eggs in favor of the newest chicks makes me nervous. She has been actively hatching eggs for 8 days now, much longer than would have been possible naturally. Fingers crossed her broody hormones dont dissipate before she completes the hatching. If that happens, she probably wont take back her chicks waiting in the temporary brooder.

 

[uktech]

Her deciding to abandon the remaining eggs in favor of the newest chicks makes me nervous.

This has also been a major concern and just now I had to switch out the eggs for the chicks as she had come off the eggs completely.

She was stood like this for more than 20 minutes from the point I saw her.

Eggs had cooled down, which itself could be an issue but they are in the incubator now.

Switched out the egg tray added some hay and hemp and going to leave them to it. Hope she takes on phase 2 of the mama role without too many more issues.

That's her with 7 chicks under her and 1 standing guard.

 

[uktech]

Yes.
Needs to be sprayed, or dusted, on the skin under the feathers.
Around vent, on belly, under wings, and around neck.
Repeat every 7-10 days, until you see no more live bugs on birds.
It's very effective.

Put an order in for Perbio Choc. Contains 0.64% Permethrin and 0.63% Tetramethrin. That should be ok right?

Hope it does the trick.

 

[aart]

Contains 0.64% Permethrin and 0.63% Tetramethrin. That should be ok right?

@casportpony is the pro on chemicals and dilutions.