The dreaded mite...

[Gavin1985]

Hey everyone,
Came across a situation I haven't encountered before and was hoping some on here might have some opinions.

I have been incubating batches of eggs for the last few months now and all is well. I have tried incubating hatching eggs purchased off ebay with no success. I decided to try again and bought 6 eggs to go in with my own.I started incubating 3 days ago and I noticed yesterday something which made my stomach turn.... red mite in the bator.

I have inspected my hens' coops and the brooding shed for any signs of mites and haven't spotted anything (I will be giving them all a thorougher clean and I have red mite powder just in case). Anyway, I find it odd that the mite only appeared in the incubator. I had to bin the eggs and really go to town on the incubator with disinfectant. I've left it switched on with no eggs in to see if they return.

On the eggs I bought, as I was removing them, I noticed what appeared to be random patches of opaque blotches. They felt hard and there were small sticky patches. I've never had red mite (praying they are not in my coops) so I am wondering if the eggs I bought were contaminated with red mite eggs and hatched in the ideal conditions of the incubator.????

Comments appreciated.

 

[chrismahon]

Sounds as though wherever you got the eggs from was infested with red mite and the eggs had mite eggs attached to them which then hatched in the incubator Gavin. Presumably you didn't use egg sanitant on the eggs before they went in, or if you did they are immune to it. They must be on the hens and were attached onto another egg whilst the hen was in laying.

That's a rather worrying story. We've had a problem this morning. Bought Daffodil in overnight and this morning there were red mite under her perching block. Looks as though the weather is right for them and I need to check the only coop that hasn't been creosoted over Winter. Nothing in her coop outside, but we've moved the run as a precaution. Presume she has picked them up from a soil bath. All the hens in that area have been heavily dusted today.

 

[Gavin1985]

Thanks Chris, that's what I was thinking. I'm positive they aren't in my coops so I will be upping the preventative treatment to make sure they don't get in. Hoping I got them all from the incubator.