Tick control

[M700]

I started my research into chickens to eliminate ticks in a way that would prevent spraying pesticides. I have 3 acres. And have a herd of about 15 deer that spend most of the day in our yard. I think they only leave for water.

I'm getting excited about the idea of chickens but wondering how many I would need to tend to the ticks. All my research has come up with is that they will eat them. Also ive read guinea hens are better for this but more of a pain (noise/forraging too far). I would ideally like to keep it to 8. Thanks for any advice that can be given

 

[Doc7]

Chickens can’t eliminate all ticks, no bird really can. Many on here say anecdotal evidence is no fewer ticks. Even if Guineas find and eat hundreds a day they won’t keep up with nature’s balance.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi and welcome to BYC! I also have chickens primarily for tick control. We live in SE MO. Like you, we have about 3 acres of clearing we want not to be tick infested. There is open field around us and hardwood/ pine forest around that. We've found that a flock of about 30 chickens seems to work about best for us. We're not 100% tick-free, but they do a pretty good job. We turn the birds out about 3:00 in the afternoon to forage for bugs and they remain out till they put themselves to bed around dusk. By 3:00 most have laid their eggs. Others may have other methods. Good luck!

 

[M700]

Thank you for the responses. With my daughter already having a few in the past 2 weeks maybe I should spray. And get birds next year once the number is down. At that point maybe they can help to maintain

 

[BigBlueHen53]

There are granules you can get. I know you said you don't want to use chemicals. We don't either but one year we only had 8 chickens so we did. I think we kept the chickens confined in their run for a while afterward; they were fine. As you know, ticks can carry some nasty diseases, so it's a battle worth waging.

 

[aart]

There are granules you can get.

What product did you use?

 

[mechanic57]

Hi and welcome to BYC! I also have chickens primarily for tick control. We live in SE MO. Like you, we have about 3 acres of clearing we want not to be tick infested. There is open field around us and hardwood/ pine forest around that. We've found that a flock of about 30 chickens seems to work about best for us. We're not 100% tick-free, but they do a pretty good job. We turn the birds out about 3:00 in the afternoon to forage for bugs and they remain out till they put themselves to bed around dusk. By 3:00 most have laid their eggs. Others may have other methods. Good luck!

I found the same works for me. Ticks were not the primary reason we got chickens but we did notice we find way less ticks on us if we spend time in the yard. I live in the woods with a little over 1.5 acres cleared around the house and hundreds of acres of woods (not all mine) surrounding me. I let them out in the afternoon after they have laid eggs and there has been a noticeable drop in ticks when we spend time in the yard vs how it used to be before we got the chickens.

My brother-in-law had chickens at his old house and said the same thing. I know the people who live in that house now and they don't have chickens and say they find a lot of ticks when they or their kids go outside.

I also think weather contributes to tick and other insect populations. This past winter it wasn't really as cold as it normally gets in my area so we got a lot of rain and no snow. Seems like so far this spring/summer there have been more ticks though we have the same number of birds.

Just my observations over the years.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

What product did you use?

It's been so long I don't remember. Probably something from Ortho.