Tick!!

[nickdlny]

So, I pulled this off one of my kids today-

1. What kind of tick is it (I live in southwestern Michigan).

2. What kind of threat does it present to my chickens?

 

[thomasboyle]

Looks like a dog tick to me. If you show it to your chickens, they will eat it and thank you for the treat!

I used to raise guinea hens, and they eliminated the ticks from my yard. Too bad they were so noisy and liked to pick on my chickens.

 

[nickdlny]

...

Looks like a dog tick to me. If you show it to your chickens, they will eat it and thank you for the treat!

Thanks for the info. I looked online and I couldn't match it up with pictures of ticks I was seeing. I might have guessed that my chickens would see it as nothing more than a snack. They eat everything, and I mean everything. Hopefully they do put a dent in the tick population, we spend a ton of time outside tending to the garden, lawn, chickens and other stuff.

 

[Akrnaf2]

Be were and monitor your kids situation! The first singes of fever or spots in there skein,or paralyzed limb, take them instantly to hospital/doctor this ticks can transmit spotted fever a very nasty disease!

 

[nickdlny]

Hi Akrnaf2,

We never really leave the monitoring children for tick-transmitable diseases from May to September. We will be removing a tick a week or so from the kids for the next several months. Thanks for your wise words--it is important to pay close attention after an encounter with a tick.

 

[Akrnaf2]