Ticks

[sannabelle]

This isn't necessarily about chicken pests- just pests in general. I'm needing good ideas to naturally get rid of or deter ticks. No frontline or anything like that as we are all pesticide free.

Do guineas really work at getting tick population down?

I've tried feeding my dogs brewers yeast and while the ticks don't want to bite them as much, they still ride them up to the house and then jump off and crawl all over us

Anything we use has to be safe for small children to be exposed to.

Help!

 

[redsoxs]

I have also read guinea fowl are an effective tick deterrent. And since I had a flock since last year, I can attest to it as well. There were a lot fewer ticks around. I see your location is rural....that would be important if you get guineas....they're quite the little noise makers.

 

[sannabelle]

We are rural! And have some already very noisy animals so that wouldn't be a problem, haha. I will see if I can talk my husband into getting some. What is a good size starter guinea flock in your opinion? They will be sharing a very large house with my chickens and ducks.

 

[aart]

Guinness might eat a lot of ticks
(so will possums supposedly)
but keeping them in your yard can be a challenge.

Maybe the Guinea Fowl forum will have more answers?

 

[sannabelle]

Guinness might eat a lot of ticks
(so will possums supposedly)
but keeping them in your yard can be a challenge.

Maybe the Guinea Fowl forum will have more answers?

I've got a lot of land- my only concern would be them ending up in the road- it's about an acre away from where their coop would be, although there is a fence and a gate there...hmmmm

 

[aart]

Quote: They are notoriously hard to 'home' to a place....can take weeks of confinement to home them.
I think that chickens would eat as many ticks as guineas and they are much easier to 'keep' close where they will do the most good.

 

[sannabelle]

They are notoriously hard to 'home' to a place....can take weeks of confinement to home them.
I think that chickens would eat as many ticks as guineas and they are much easier to 'keep' close where they will do the most good.

I have about 30 chickens that free range by the house and keep those ticks down- I'm actually wanting something that will venture a little (we have quite a bit of forested land) and eat some of the ticks further out. My dogs run the whole platte all day then come home covered in ticks and drag them into the house. The kids bring them home too, all in their shoes and covering their clothes. We have a humongous coop so confining them for an extended period wouldn't be too hard...

Thank you for all your input!! Greatly appreciated