Keets and chiggers

[lynseystone]

I want to apologize for asking what is probably a stupid question, but I am a new guinea mommy and just don't want anything to happen to my 4 four week old keets!

I live in Texas and have been putting my keets out in a chicken tractor during the day for the past couple of days. I noticed yesterday that they were scratching around in the St Augustine and digging holes to lay in/have dust baths in. I don't want that grass to be damaged though so was planning to move the chicken tractor off of it.

We have chiggers in all of the other grass/weeds though. Can chiggers to as much damage to keets as they can to a person? Or will this not be a problem? Like I said, I realize this is probably very stupid, but I've grown very fond of these birds and just don't want to make any mistakes with them!

Thanks for any input!

Lynsey

 

[PeepsCA]

I don't have chiggers here, so I can't say for sure that the chiggers will do any harm to the keets... I guess they potentially could, and some people have reported their that Guineas get attacked by mosquitoes so I'd just keep an eye on the keets and watch for any sign of irritation or swelling. I've never needed it, but I have read that some people use flea powder for kittens on young poultry to help protect them from biting insects, and sevin dust on the older birds.

Dust bathing is a normal behavior for Guineas, it's how they keep themselves pest free and it also helps clean their skin and feathers... there's no avoiding it with Guineas tho, so you can either provide dust bathing areas for them (and add a little wood ashed to their dust bathing areas if you have any), or they will just continue make their own.