Tiny tiny bugs on broody's clutch of eggs

[chics in the sun]

I am on day 17 of my broody White Leghorn sitting on eight eggs. She wsa off the nest dust bathing today and I took the opportunity to look at the eggs. There were very very small, barely visible bugs crawling on them. I am not sure what they are, or if I should try and do anything about them this late in the hatching game. I don't want them to get on the chicks when they hatch. My broody's comb looks like a shriveled up fall leaf, but i just assumed it was from her being broody for so long (she was broody for a week before I gave her the eggs, too). Should I pick up the eggs and put some DE and fresh pine shavings down? She doesn't get too upset when I reach in there, and when whe candled them Saturday night she only made minimal teradactyl noises at us.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Treat her with ivermectin and/or dog flea/tick spray. Add sevin or permethrin dust to the nest. If you want it to stay nice and dry, add DE too.

 

[chics in the sun]

That won't affect her newly hatched chicks? I'm scared to use chemicals on the nest so close to the eggs hatching. I just checked her, and she has them too.

 

[sourland]

They are mites and they are draining her blood and will do the same to the chicks. Ivermectin is relatively innocuous stuff- I use it on three day old puppies. Mites in large enough quantities can kill setting hens.

 

[OregonChickenGal]

Yes, you need to do something ASAP before the chicks hatch.

 

[chics in the sun]

Thank you! I will go to the feed store tomorrow. They should have it there, right?

 

[chics in the sun]

What should I do about the pine shavings? Should I move all the eggs and replace it, or is it too much of a risk to move the eggs on day18? Will treating the broody eliminate them without messing with the nest?

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

At this stage of the game, she will not abandon the nest if you take the shavings out and replace them with clean fresh ones.....Good Luck with the babies..not long now.

 

[chics in the sun]

Thank you! I will do it verry carefully. She has been a good broody, and only gets off the nest for a short while once a day, so I'm sure you are right. I'm so nervous - Stupid Mites!!