Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Molpet]

I'm not going to be on byc much for a few days.

 

[Sally PB]

Sending positive waves and hugs.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I'm not going to be on byc much for a few days.

I hope everything is ok.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Look what I saw when I put out tea for the flock
View attachment 4142887
It was actually the flock that alerted me to it - Hensol especially
View attachment 4142889
and Cadle was particularly interested - I don't think she's seen one before; Wig was a bit more reserved
View attachment 4142900
It looked pretty healthy to me, so is probably out in the daytime because it's a nursing or soon-to-be mother. Which is great of course - more hedgehogs!

How lucky! They are so adorable!

 

[Perris]

I hope Shad won't mind me puncturing the silence while he's away with something I read recently that may be of interest to those on the other side of the pond; opossums can be useful. They consume a lot of ticks, more than any other typical host animal. "No fewer than 96% of the ticks scientists placed on opossums in controlled studies were thus prevented from reaching humans" (or, by extension, their chickens).
Edited to add the source: Svedrup-Thygeson Tapestries of Life chapter 7.

 

[no fly zone]

I hope Shad won't mind me puncturing the silence while he's away with something I read recently that may be of interest to those on the other side of the pond; opossums can be useful. They consume a lot of ticks, more than any other typical host animal. "No fewer than 96% of the ticks scientists placed on opossums in controlled studies were thus prevented from reaching humans" (or, by extension, their chickens).
Edited to add the source: Svedrup-Thygeson Tapestries of Life chapter 7.

That information is wrong. Possums do not actively seek ticks out for food.

 

[Molpet]

I hope Shad won't mind me puncturing the silence while he's away with something I read recently that may be of interest to those on the other side of the pond; opossums can be useful. They consume a lot of ticks, more than any other typical host animal. "No fewer than 96% of the ticks scientists placed on opossums in controlled studies were thus prevented from reaching humans" (or, by extension, their chickens).
Edited to add the source: Svedrup-Thygeson Tapestries of Life chapter 7.

The study counted ticks on the caged opossum and then the ticks disappeared. So the assumption was they were eaten.

Another study looked at stomach contents of different opossum and didn't find any ticks.

My opinion is they are nest robbers and the wild turkeys and other birds would eat more ticks than the opossum.

Both studies are cited at the end of this article
https://extension.illinois.edu/blog...ck-relationship-it-good-idea-attract-opossums

 

[Perris]

Possums do not actively seek ticks out for food.

It wasn't suggesting that. It said they were a host species of ticks, and are very good at ridding themselves of said parasites by eating them. The paper that prompted it and one that disputed it are linked in the article Molpet linked to; thanks @Molpet !

 

[Mother of Chaos]

It wasn't suggesting that. It said they were a host species of ticks, and are very good at ridding themselves of said parasites by eating them. The paper that prompted it and one that disputed it are linked in the article Molpet linked to; thanks @Molpet !

A long-ago veterinarian employer of mine had a brother with hunting dogs. This was long before there was halfway decent flea and tick control for houses.

When it got bad enough, the brother would keep the dogs out of the house long enough for the hungry fleas to go after the humans. Once that happened, he'd let the dogs back in, the fleas would all piggyback onto the dogs, leaving the house as the dogs were chased out, and he'd go dip the dogs in whatever concoction was going on in those times.

Random, I know, but it reminds me of the possums disposing of ticks just to get free of them.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I hope Shad won't mind me puncturing the silence while he's away with something I read recently that may be of interest to those on the other side of the pond; opossums can be useful. They consume a lot of ticks, more than any other typical host animal. "No fewer than 96% of the ticks scientists placed on opossums in controlled studies were thus prevented from reaching humans" (or, by extension, their chickens).
Edited to add the source: Svedrup-Thygeson Tapestries of Life chapter 7.

Apparently they will eat them when grooming, but do not actually seek them out as a snack.
https://outdoor.wildlifeillinois.org/articles/debunking-the-myth-opossums-dont-eat-ticks

Turkeys, however, do snack on ticks, like they are popcorn. LOL https://www.puresolutions.com/blog/thankful-for-turkeys