first time flock

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SVT-87

SVT-87

In the Brooder
5 Years
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Jun 29, 2014
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Hi all!
I am about finnshed with my first chicken coop and am about ready to pick up my first group of hens.
I have done a lot of reading on this site and there is a TON of info on here. One thing I cant seem to find much information on is mosquitos they are super bad where I am and I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with them biteing there chickens.
 
Welcome from the Ocean State!

It will probably be more a case of the chickens biting them. Mine eat any bug that dares come near the coop or run.
 
Welcome to BYC. Mosquitoes will feed upon chickens. Several years ago there was a West Nile outbreak in my area. Crows and other raptors seemed particularly vulnerable along with catbirds and other songbirds. I actually had some pigeons that showed neurological symptoms - West Nile? I don't know if chickens can develop symptomatic disease if exposed to West Nile.
 

Welcome to BYC!
frow.gif
Please make yourself at home and we are here to help!

I'm sure the chickens would eat the misquotes but I'm also sure the misquotes will get to them too. Just so you know mosquitos hate lemon grass and sometimes basil.
 
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Welcome to BYC!

Mosquitoes do bite chickens and they do eat them. However chickens develop antibodies to West Nile within a couple days of being bitten and rarely if ever show any symptoms of West Nile. I had a hen with a few tremors for 2 days a couple summers ago, (a symptom of west nile) but she got over it after a couple days.

I will spray around all windows and venting at night so repel mosquitoes and you can put screens over your hardware cloth on our windows to keep them out as well.

Good luck on this new adventure you are on and welcome to our flock!
 
Welcome to BYC
frow.gif
A few species of mosquitoes can transfer fowl pox, so if there is a lot of mosquitoes in your area if may be a good precaution to vaccinate your hens (check if they've been vaccinated by the breeder/hatchery you are buying them from), there's some more info on vaccinations here:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm021
http://posc.tamu.edu/files/2012/08/Fowl-pox.pdf
http://www.strombergschickens.com/product/fowl-pox-vaccine-1000-doses/Poultry-Vaccines-Blood-Tests

There are also a few things you can do in your coop, for example treating the coop and birds with permethrin, place screens over the window(s) and any other openings, such as ventilation holes, etc. Here are a thread on the topic with more tips:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/180458/mosquito-problem-in-chicken-coop/0_30
 
Thanks for the warm welcome! Im not so worried about west nile. I checked in our area and there hasent been an outbreak in years but I will check with the hatchery im going to get my girls from. I plan on planting some limon grass and im going to employ other natural means to control the mosquito population but maybe im just being a little over cautious?
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! If you have a mosquito problem in your area, don't think it is being over cautious to do what you can to control them and keep them away from the birds, better safe than sorry.
 

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