Arizona Chickens

[pipemum]

TICK CHECK!!!

Ugh, ticks are a nightmare. I'll check tonight.

 

[flower]

So for anti TICK prevention you use ORGANGE GUARD purchased at your local hardware or good food store. Now what about the chickens ? Do they need to have a treatment or do you just use the ORANGE GUARD on the roosts ?

I can not remember having ticks on my birds even when I did live where there were trees ?
Now I have pulled a few off of humans first I washed the area with alcohol.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

So for anti TICK prevention you use ORGANGE GUARD purchased at your local hardware or good food store. Now what about the chickens ? Do they need to have a treatment or do you just use the ORANGE GUARD on the roosts ?

I can not remember having ticks on my birds even when I did live where there were trees ?
Now I have pulled a few off of humans first I washed the area with alcohol.

For prevention, I sealed up every crook and crevice I could find in my coop with caulking. Limiting hiding places is the first line of defense. I think the outbreaks were limited after the first year because there was only one small crevice where they could hide. Last fall I put up a short ladder so the older and heavier ladies could walk up to the roost from the elevated landing area and where it connects to the roost was a perfect, albeit small, hiding place. Some acaricides will work against them, but most have lost their effectiveness. Spraying the roosts with Orange Guard (I get it from ACE Hardware) is very effective against them--provided you can get it on them (sometimes crevices are so deep, it won't penetrate). I haven't found an arthropod yet that is able to survive contact with it. The stuff is pretty noxious when first applied and will attract bees for a day or so. I apply it early in the day so that it has time to dissipate somewhat before the birds have to roost. Because the ticks are on the chickens for such a short time, it's best treating the ticks directly, rather than the birds. The caveat here is the larval ticks will attach to the bird for their first feeding for about 7-10 days before dropping off. These ticks specialize on birds and aren't interested at all in mammals--thankfully!

I'm not sure how much prevention I'd advocate (other than limiting access to the coop by wild birds) unless you discover an outbreak. Once it happens though, it's likely to happen repeatedly and the more drastic measures of sealing crevices and treating has to be undertaken. I think you folks up at elevation where you get a hard freeze are less likely to encounter problems (these ticks can't survive freezing), but migratory birds can still pose a threat as they can carry the larval ticks from lower elevations. I try to be vigilant and check for them at least once a month. It's a terrible feeling to find thousands of them in your coop, hiding right under your nose, knowing the hell they've put your birds through. According to the folks at the Veterinary Diagnostics Lab. here at the UofA, most outbreaks in small backyard flocks probably go unnoticed because people don't know about them or how to detect them (checking roosts at sunset). I had never heard about them before I first discovered them in my coop.

For more info on poultry ticks, see my page linked in my sig. line.

 

[City farm]

So for anti [COLOR=FF0000]TICK prevention[/COLOR] [COLOR=006400] you use ORGANGE GUARD purchased at your local hardware or good food store.[/COLOR] [COLOR=0000CD] Now what about the chickens ?  Do they need to have a treatment or do you just use the [/COLOR][COLOR=FF8C00]ORANGE GUARD on the roosts ?[/COLOR]

I can not remember having ticks on my birds even when I did live where there were trees ?
Now I have pulled a few off of humans first I washed the area with alcohol.

OH regarding Ticks on humans, you have got to watch... UNDER OUR SKIN.. I think you can access the documentary on net flicks or utube..
If you can find it let me know & I would like to watch it again.. I'll make afternoon tea..

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

MaddBaggins you have quite a daughter. Know what needed to be done and did it.

Galio Thanks for the tick worming, I will look it up and check it out..

I'm going to have to come Dow to Tucson and met people there. I have been planing to come down and visit different sights there., more then a one day trip.

 

[notinoz2007]

lkd sorry to hear about your losses.
i WILL be able to attend the processing party after all

bringing my mom and husband. how does everyone feel about children? i have 2 but can get a sitter.

 

[Arizonachicken]

I must have missed it...where did everyone decide to have the processing party?

 

[City farm]

I must have missed it...where did everyone decide to have the processing party?

It was some pages ago. Not sure. LKD was gracious enough to have it a t her home... Flower is the teacher.. I hope you can make it..let
LKD know and she will give you the info.. I even posted that I would bring beer.. I don't plan on drinking but 1, it just sounds so good
in the summer.. One of my friends canceled along with my boys. They said no thanks.. They are getting off the this time, but when we
are due to do a autopsy they will be right there.. It is important for boys to know these things.. I will be making COQ AU FIN,. Hopefully
I will have enough roosters for to make a full dish? I have 2 so far and one from another member if we can work the driving details out..
Chris hope you can make it..

 

[Demosthine]

I must have missed it...where did everyone decide to have the processing party?

Personally, I would just bring chickens. I'd think that if your kids are anything like mine, they are so active that they'd be all tough and stringing. Besides, they are all just skin and bones or nothing but fat these days... Oh, that's not what you meant?!? Sorry...

Mine will already be at my parents' house, since they are watching them while my wife and I go to a baseball game that morning. We're coming more for the social interaction than the processing. Our roosters are way too special for us to process without a very good reason.

lkd sorry to hear about your losses.
i WILL be able to attend the processing party after all

bringing my mom and husband. how does everyone feel about children? i have 2 but can get a sitter.

It's at LadyKotaDoria's house, which is at about 99th Avenue and Olive Avenue, in Sun City. PM her and she'll give you the exact directions.

 

[City farm]

If anyone would like to carpool to the processing party let's figure it out.. We are in Tempe by A.S.U.
Oh,!!!! Our new neighbors are totally good with Kent our Rooster. Yee haaa...