Our chicks came with mites!

[debra and shenderra]

Our trouble with mites. We have had no experiences with our chikens previously having them. We decided to raise chickens again it has been over 5 years since we owned a flock. We purchased ours from meyer hatchery when the order arrived the little cuties behaved strangely, constantly eating and did not sleep hardly at all. We thought it was the breed. Then they started shaking their heads and scratching , preening excessively, piling up the pine bedding plus other things. We did research to try and find solutions. At last we found some answers it looked like our little flock came with, mites...no extra charge. Here's how we resolved the problem, placed our chicks in plastic tubs, pulled all the bedding out and laid paper towels down instead, placed them in our living room to keep an eye on them. We purchased a bottle of sweet oil (used for ear wax on humans) essential oil or tea tree, neem seed and clove oil. in the 4oz bottle (purchased at walmart) we placed 4 drops neem and 6 drops tea tree oil then shook the bottle. you have to buy a dropper seperate because it does not come with the dropper. After making the oil we took each chick placed drops in the ear and butt hole and vent, because the mites hide there too. On some of the chicks there looked like dermatitis and missing peach fuzz, so we applied the oil to those areas too. the next day no more scratching ears, shaking heads they were all asleep at the right time, no more odd behavior. there was still the diarrhea. So we added clove oil 4 drops to the glass mason jar which we used before when our chicken were sick. You might want to treat the chickens plus make a spray using neem oil and vinager it is and efficient insecticide and does no harm the chickens.

 

[Battles house]

You can spray neem oil inside? I did not realize that. Good info thanks.

 

[aart]

We purchased ours from meyer hatchery

How old are they?
Did you report the infestation to the hatchery?

 

[Eggcessive]

I doubt that the chicks showed up with mites. I have had several batches of chicks from Meyer with no problems.

 

[debra and shenderra]

called the hatchery and reported it but they denied it was on their end. We also ordered 25 golden comets and they are sick too! The hatchery admitted the golden comets were contracted out and they are sick with something else drooping heads, some eat all the time others are just skin and bones. The skin and bones ones we have been feeding with an eye dropper a mix of egg yolk and the vitamin/electrolyte solution. It has helped some are eating , but they are not growing at all and those energetic few push the weak one around. The man I spoke to at meyer suggested putting amoxicillin in their water. Also these birds release a rotten egg smelling gas.

 

[debra and shenderra]

For those that doubt the chicks showed up with mites......everything with our new chicks are new, bedding, brooders newly made, heat lights, waters and feeders. We used to have a flock over 5 years ago but there were complaints from the golf course so we had to give them away. We are moving so decided to raise chickens again. The truth is the truth no matter how you slice it. I am disabled only go to the doctors office when I leave the house my daughter is also disabled...goes nowhere too. Only my son and husband leave the house and they are not caring for the chicks.