Mosquitoes

[silkie4]

I have been told that chickens like to eat the mosquitoes but we live in Eastern Nebraska by the Platte and Missouri Rivers and are having lots of problems with flooding so with the extra water comes large swarms of mosquitoes, and I do mean lots of large swarm of mosquitoes everywhere! If we buy a fogger and fog the yard will it affect the chickens? Can Chickens get West Nile from the mosquitoes and is there something I can/should spray in the coop? Very new at raising chickens so please excuse me if this is a stupid question. Thanks

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Chickens will eat most bugs that they see when they are awake. Many mosquitoes are active while chickens sleep. Ergo, chickens don;t do much mosquito eating. HOWEVER, mosquitoes carry MANY illnesses that are a danger to your birds. Fowl pox most notably. Chickens are immune to West Nile, so that at least is not a concern. Remove all mosquito breeding locations (standing water) if possible, if there is one you cannot remove, use mosquito dunks, which prevent mosquito larve from maturing. Cut tall weeds and thoroughly spray areas they roam, but especially their coop and its surroundings with a pesticide that will kill and repel mosquitoes. There are many that are appropriate for animal and human housing. Consider using Country Vet insecticides with an automatic sprayer such as the lysol air fresher automatic sprayers (less expensive than the Country Vet sprayers).

 

[SoFluffy]

chicken can eat mosquitos but my father said that the mosquitos can still bit them...