Dual purpose breed for tick control

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm hoping to keep some for laying hens too, I'm just wondering if I can find a breed that is worth butchering after 6-7 months, because then I could have more here each summer for bug control and not over winter all of them, just a few.

I have considered muscovy ducks in the past, will they eat ticks though?

Between my chickens and my muscovy we have eradicated a lot of ticks from our yard. I do have about 90 chickens, but only a few younger ones routinely forage my yard and they hug the tree line.

You may or may not have problems with predators. Coyote will clean you out pretty quickly if they discover your flock. We keep donkeys which help to keep predators at bay, but not completely eliminate them, or a few loses each year.

My muscovy are out mostly at night in warmer months. Here in central Wisconsin Lymes disease has become an epidemic, especially in dogs, so my main goal was to try to eliminate the ticks as well.

As far as breeds, you could try Australorp, or buff Orpington. Both lay fairly well and they may have some meat on them by Fall.

 

[varidgerunner]

Game chickens will do anything guineas will do and do it better as far as tick control. A few hens and one mature rooster will give you hoardes of chickens to process in the fall. They basically operate as a feral colony, no shelter required. Carcasses aren't commercial type, but have meat that is basically free. (I typically cut breast meat out and give the rest to the dogs). Kill down to a handful of hens and one male in the fall and it won't take much to winter them through. Pretty much make it off of just scraps. Not much in the egg department, but you can get a few, You can always stick some other eggs in a hens nest if you want a few hens of an eggier breed.