I'm a lot less discouraged but a lot angrier. There's a very good explanation of why little black [mites?] were all over our eggs. My sixteen year old who "cleans the nest boxes every Thursday" simply tops them off with fresh wood chips! When I put my hand inside one of the boxes I noticed it had clumped, caked on, stuff at the bottom, I scraped it with my fingernail against the junk. When it didn't move, I thought, how did this occur in three days since it was only three days since he was supposed to have deep-cleaned the nest boxes. I smelled my fingertips, they stunk like dead animal. I stuck my nose in one of the nest boxes, it stunk like dead animal. He's has never cleaned the nest boxes in two years! Yes, I guess you could blame me but when I check the boxes look like they're done, nice clean chips. Anyway, the crew and I bleached the nest boxes and rinsed them out thoroughly today, mixed in the DE with new fresh chips. Now I'll pick up some Pyrythrin and spray the chickens.
Haven't seen a bug since!
Joe, I'm getting eggs at about 60% now from the seven Ancona hens I have, they are large to extra large eggs.
I bought some red sex links in Feb just to work with for the year to be sure everything is fine (perfecting my trap nest) still haven't lost a bird this year, yay! Everything will be all set for the spring, I'm very excited.
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