Can my small flock of 20 chickens bring bed bugs into the house???

[Ash_lie]

Humans and chickens don't share the same external parasites. Good luck!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Humans and chickens don't share the same external parasites. Good luck!

Hi @Ash_lie While it's true that some external parasites are species specific, bedbugs are apparently not one of them. Take a look back at post#5 of this thread (re-posted below for your convenience). Seems that bedbugs have been a problem for poultry producers for some time. Doing some googling, I found some other interesting reads which I won't link, but bedbugs hitch a ride on poultry workers, then begin to infest housing and spread around. And for those of you who are forensics fans - they are looking into being able to isolate human DNA from bedbugs found at crime scenes, so if you're going to commit a crime make sure all your bedbugs go back out the door with you

Like the others, I suspect the bedbug came from the fabric, since your friend had an infestation.
But.....yes! Bedbugs can live in poultry houses and feed on chickens. They will take the opportunity, if given, to feast on humans, mammals, fowl etc.
http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/information-sheets/what-do-about-bed-bugs-poultry-houses
http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2658&Itemid=3033
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/artic...t-pests-to-control-in-poultry-breeder-flocks/
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/bedbugs
https://www.mypetchicken.com/backya...elp/Can-bed-bugs-bother-my-chickens-H362.aspx
I find this one interesting....it was apparently published in 1937! https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a91c/06b55ecec8892f2596662d41c3210818b034.pdf

 

[casportpony]

Hi @Ash_lie While it's true that some external parasites are species specific, bedbugs are apparently not one of them. Take a look back at post#5 of this thread (re-posted below for your convenience). Seems that bedbugs have been a problem for poultry producers for some time. Doing some googling, I found some other interesting reads which I won't link, but bedbugs hitch a ride on poultry workers, then begin to infest housing and spread around. And for those of you who are forensics fans - they are looking into being able to isolate human DNA from bedbugs found at crime scenes, so if you're going to commit a crime make sure all your bedbugs go back out the door with you

Excellent post!