Northern Fowl Mites on wild turkeys!!!

[ella2025]

Some wild turkeys love hanging out in my backyard, walking around, pecking, scratching, eating bugs. Sometimes they get very close to the chickens, but they always just ignore each other and don't get super close. I've always seen them as beneficial for my yard and didn't shoo them away. Today I found one of their feathers on the ground and picked it up to collect it as usual. Then I saw this red mite on it. Is this a Northern Fowl Mite? If it is, should I try my best to keep the turkeys as far away from my chickens as possible? Is there anything else I can do to make sure my chickens don't get the mites? Thank you in advance.

 

[CherishedFowlGuardian]

You can add shiny discs or reflective tape to help keep the wild turkeys away.

 

[ella2025]

You can add shiny discs or reflective tape to help keep the wild turkeys away.

I always thought of this method being to protect chickens from hawks. It's good to know it'll keep the turkeys away too. I'm sad to do so as I love seeing them but as long as my chickens are okay I'm okay with it. Do you know if that red bug is really a mite?

 

[CherishedFowlGuardian]

Really shiny things keep most wild birds away.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Bio security is a major thing folks. Keep wild birds, rodents, anything that walks, flies, or crawl as far away from your flock as possible.