I thought chickens ate ticks??

[True Grit]

This evening I sat outside for a bit with my chickens and gave them some mealworms and watched them and petted my tame one. I THINK there were ticks falling out of the maple branches overhead and onto my self! I found like 5 ticks on my clothes and tried to get the chickens to eat them. They'd maybe peck at them but that was it. One got flung back onto my shirt as my hen tried to get rid of it.

What gives? I thought they ate ticks?

 

[Life is Good!]

Naw, get Guinea hens for tick consumption. There's some fierce tick-eaters for you.

 

[DickGJ]

Quote:
I don't know if I spoiled mine with good feed, and treats like yogurt, crushed up hard boiled eggs, and mealworms or what, but mine don't eat ticks either. Maybe they're too young yet since the oldest I have are only 8 weeks old, but I had offered mine three different 1/4" sized ticks crawling in the middle of my palm and the bravest of the chickens picked it off only to throw it to the ground. One or two of the other ones ran over to the one that hit the ground and they "eyeballed" it and seemingly said "Da heck with that thing" and let it crawl away. The love anything that thing small that flies...but I don't see them eat houseflies either! I gave mine corn on a cob left-overs and they loved what they got from those cobs, but when the cobs got covered by flies (like 50 flies on each cob after they laid there awhile), I thought I was going to see them go nuts on those flies...yet nothing happened. In fact, I think I saw a fly or two flip the "bird" to my chickens and they ignored the flies! I was disappointed! However, I hear that guinea hens will never let a tick or ant crawl very far! As a bird species, they're suppose to be the best insect exterminators around...just knowing how noisy they are...I'm not sure my neighbors will appreciate them very much. I've contemplated getting 2 or 3, but I hear they do better in larger numbers or they can get ornery.

Long story short...I haven't seen my chickens eat ticks, ants, or flies yet. I'm hoping they grow out of this as they get older! If not, oh well...I can't shoot them as long as they begin laying eggs!

 

[Arielle]

Come to think of it I haven't seen my girls eat ticks either. THey refuse ants.Fortunately my boys (Human) are great at tick killing!!!