Best chicken breed for tick control?

[lara_k]

Hi all,

I live in southern Ontario, and this year is looking to be BAD for ticks and biting insects. I'm wondering about chickens for insect control (so, good foragers, I guess?). As well, they would need to be cold- reasonably heat-tolerant.

Thanks in advance!

 

[lara_k]

Hi all,

I live in southern Ontario, and this year is looking to be BAD for ticks and biting insects. I'm wondering about chickens for insect control (so, good foragers, I guess?). As well, they would need to be cold- reasonably heat-tolerant.

Thanks in advance!

* cold- and (reasonably) heat-tolerant

 

[Chickassan]

Dominiques, they are made for this! Plus great layers, little rosecomb for minimal if any frostbite, and they're lovely very freindly birds.

 

[lara_k]

Dominiques, they are made for this! Plus great layers, little rosecomb for minimal if any frostbite, and they're lovely very freindly birds.

I'll look into them! Thanks for the suggestion

 

[Chickassan]

You are very welcome. I have two of my own and not one day have I been unhappy with their work.

 

[varidgerunner]

Games would be the standard that "good forager" would be judged by. At the top of the spectrum.

 

[Ghosty]

Guineas would be best, but they are noisy; I couldn't deal with it. My games are good foragers, but my blue sex-links (SG's) eat like mad and forage all day as well. So I would also vote for the hybrids. Good size birds that lay alot of big eggs and are voracious foragers.

 

[varidgerunner]

The whole "guineas for tick control myth" depends largely on guineas surviving long enough to eat ticks. If their mom doesn't kill them, they are tasty snacks for predators. I think most things just kill them so they can get some sleep, the meat is like blacksnake meat that wasn't handled properly. I've had them. They are on the top of the "shoot on sight" list around here. Ticks are preferable to guineas.