Best chicken breed for tick control?

[hypnozze]

Wow! Thank You all for your answers!

I read in some breed infos about the Old English Game chicken breed that it's not friendly, but looking at the breed reviews on this site I understand that that might not be the case. This is the only "game" chicken breed available here.

Based on your lovely answers I'm leaning towards getting Speckled Sussex chickens and Old English Game chickens - I hope they can coexist together. Just have to decide which breed rooster to have..

Thanks on the info about sex-links too, however I can't seem to find such a breed available for sale around here..

 

[kittycat1356]

I have a speckled Sussex! Mine are so friendly too! Am actually torn about needing to rehome my SS rooster, he’s such a sweet boy but he’s not the rooster I want for my flock.
(Funnily enough the person I got my SS eggs from said they were her meanest chicken)

I was always under the impression that old English game bantams were supposed to be sweet to their handlers and aggressive to other roosters. I’ve even seen people “rehabilitate” old fighting birds to live in community flocks with other roosters.

 

[varidgerunner]

I have had a lot of different breeds through the years. My experience is that a high percentage of speckled sussex roosters will be shin floggers. Breeders trying to get those spots just right, overlook a bad personality here and there. Eggs and meat can be had without regard to personality as well. Most people just dump some feed over the fence, so it doesn't matter if they want to kill you. If you want birds that don't show human aggression, get birds from lines that have been handled intensively by humans for hundreds or thousands of years.

 

[lazy gardener]

When you say "cold weather", what does that mean to you? IMO, if you live where winter temps are nasty cold, then, you should look at pea or rose combed birds. I would avoid the production hybrids or the hatchery sex links b/c of their tendency to burn out and succumb to reproductive illness after a couple of laying seasons.

Take a look at Henderson's chicken breed's chart.

Some of my favorite cold weather tolerant birds are: Easter Egger or Ameraucana, and Dominique. I am also partial to Black Australorpe and Barred Rock. All will do well at foraging for insects, including ticks. You might even consider some of the smaller turkeys.

 

[Akrnaf2]

Hello everyone!

I am new here and am looking for the best chicken breed which will eat ticks.
We have a lot of ticks here and therefore are looking for ways to get rid off them.

Haven't had any experience with chickens before.

The main favorable traits for the desired breed would be foraging skill, friendliness and tolerance of low temperatures in the winter as it sometimes gets around -20°C (-4°F) here. Egg production is just a bonus and not the reason for owning chickens for us at the moment. Friendliness is desired due to having small children around. And they would be completely free ranging.

Guinea fowl was my first pick however their noisiness would cause problems (kids having naps, neighbours are not that far away).

I have looked through similar threads however where I'm from (I'm from Latvia, Europe), we don't have a lot of breeds that are being talked about here. I am currently looking at the Dominique, Sussex and Sebright breeds.

What can you recommend for the most suitable chicken breed for our case?

You don't need a chicken you need a guineafowl.

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed, according to all the "they say" folks, guineas are the gold standard when it comes to tick control. Why, I even hear that they consider squash bugs to be a delicacy, while my chickens will not touch a squash bug. However, try all you might, Benny!!! You'll never convince me that I should have a few guineas. I think they are awesome birds, and absolutely love the appearance of them, I would not do that to my neighborhood!

All that being said, my chickens do a good job with tick control. My yard is essentially tick free while my neighbor across the street runs around with his socks pulled up over his pants and frequently pulls ticks off himself.

 

[ronott1]

I don't have a tick problem here but others have posted about Black Australorps being good at reducing ticks.

I have had them and believe it! They are very good foragers and eat a lot of bugs

 

[Akrnaf2]

Agreed, according to all the "they say" folks, guineas are the gold standard when it comes to tick control. Why, I even hear that they consider squash bugs to be a delicacy, while my chickens will not touch a squash bug. However, try all you might, Benny!!! You'll never convince me that I should have a few guineas. I think they are awesome birds, and absolutely love the appearance of them, I would not do that to my neighborhood!

All that being said, my chickens do a good job with tick control. My yard is essentially tick free while my neighbor across the street runs around with his socks pulled up over his pants and frequently pulls ticks off himself.

Dear H. The neighbors where not a factor in the conversation !
Gunieafowl are also to aggressive and will boss even the most aggressive rooster.

 

[varidgerunner]

I wanted a free range bird that naturally reproduced and ate ticks and consumed fly larva out of large animal poop, busting it up in the process. Guineas were not it. They don't seem to be able to naturally reproduce outside of dry grassland with seasonal rainfall. Incredibly annoying and easily wiped out by predators as well. Gamefowl work a lot better, you do have to gather up the males as they come of age, but they can reproduce like rats, making it off of a little wasted grain and scraps here and there.

 

[Bugieda]

Hello everyone!

I am new here and am looking for the best chicken breed which will eat ticks.
We have a lot of ticks here and therefore are looking for ways to get rid off them.

Haven't had any experience with chickens before.

The main favorable traits for the desired breed would be foraging skill, friendliness and tolerance of low temperatures in the winter as it sometimes gets around -20°C (-4°F) here. Egg production is just a bonus and not the reason for owning chickens for us at the moment. Friendliness is desired due to having small children around. And they would be completely free ranging.

Guinea fowl was my first pick however their noisiness would cause problems (kids having naps, neighbours are not that far away).

I have looked through similar threads however where I'm from (I'm from Latvia, Europe), we don't have a lot of breeds that are being talked about here. I am currently looking at the Dominique, Sussex and Sebright breeds.

What can you recommend for the most suitable chicken breed for our case?

The Road Island Red breed would meet all your requirements. They are friendly foragers who love bugs, great in cold weather w/great egg production. Because they are foragers, they will lay their eggs wherever they are at the time. You might have to go looking for them.