Breeds for tick management

[Raubkatze]

I live in Michigan and am looking to get a flock again after not having chickens for roughly 10 years. I’m not really interested in guinea fowl based on experiences with a friend that had them. Are there other breeds that are really good at eating ticks? They have gotten so bad around my house we can see them crawling up our front door in the summer.

 

[Boppo]

I have 3 hens that have just cleaned out my yard from ticks. One is an Amber sexlink, one is an "I don't know" (she doesn't quite fit the descriptions for Austra White), and one is a lame Buckeye. I am not sure if they all get credit, but I suspect so. They are avid foragers.

 

[nuthatched]

Any breed that can see well will do.(not silkies, polish etc)

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/14-best-chicken-breeds-for-foraging/

You would want good foraging chicken breeds. Like these breeds on this website!

 

[Iluveggers]

The top foragers from the 20 hens I own are Plymouth Rocks, Easter Egger, Marans, and Welsummer. They are always out and digging, even in bad weather.

 

[Tonyroo]

Phoenix or game birds are really efficient cleaning up all insects.

 

[Red Mangrove]

My American Game did a fantastic job wiping out the tick population on my land

 

[BobStuart]

I live in Michigan and am looking to get a flock again after not having chickens for roughly 10 years. I’m not really interested in guinea fowl based on experiences with a friend that had them. Are there other breeds that are really good at eating ticks? They have gotten so bad around my house we can see them crawling up our front door in the summer.

I think you should buy fertile eggs if you want to start a new flock. And I have 7 week old chickens that will eat pretty much anything that crawls. I have Plymouth Rocks, ISA brown and others i do not know, at my old house outside of town. But they adore bug too. But I believe most breeds will clean up insects for you.

 

[Raubkatze]

I think you should buy fertile eggs if you want to start a new flock. And I have 7 week old chickens that will eat pretty much anything that crawls. I have Plymouth Rocks, ISA brown and others i do not know, at my old house outside of town. But they adore bug too. But I believe most breeds will clean up insects for you.

I’m not sure I am prepared for that. My plan is to buy chicks.

 

[Red Mangrove]

I think you should buy fertile eggs if you want to start a new flock.

Human imprinted chickens create problems not encountered in broody raised chickens. If I wanted a new flock, in particular a free-ranging flock, I would want to establish it with young adult, broody-raised chickens