forgeblast
Elite Member
We let them out all day and then every night I throw some feed in a plastic bowl, they hear it and come running. They love digging my mulch up, but we have not had a tick on us yet this year.
Chicken "Survivor"
- Thread starter gocards1177
- Start date
- Views: 2724
Larry Caldwell
Elite Member
The best free range chickens are bantys. They are the closest breed to wild chickens, grow vicious spurs on their legs, can fly, and will do OK if they have tree or brush cover.
Larry Caldwell
Elite Member
After checking internet suppliers, I find that Bantys are no longer sold under that name. Instead, they are sold as the American Game Chicken, or the bantam game chicken.
American Game (chicken) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eat most of the roosters, or they will just kill each other.
American Game (chicken) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eat most of the roosters, or they will just kill each other.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
We have gazillions of tick and chiggers, or as I call them, tiggers.
We let the chickens out of the garden(temp chicken run) most afternoons while the eggs are collected, feed checked and water filled. The chickens get a few hours outside of the garden run most days but they have not made a dent in our tigger load. I am just talking about a small part of the back yard too. We would needs a huge chicken flock to take care of bugs around the house. Last time I used the BBQ, I got tiggered. The BBQ is on gravel and I don't go near grass this time of year unless wearing long pants tucked into long socks and coating same with chemicals. Tiggers are everywhere. Usually they are in the grass for sure but I see them all over the $%&*() place. My mom was visiting and got some sitting on the porch. Danged little heat seekers....
For years we have had 7-9 does around the house but in the last two years it has only been two. The coyotes have taken down the herd for sure. I hope this will mean the tigger load will drop but I have yet to see any evidence that this is a happening. I think my hope is really wishful thinking since each deer has huge numbers of ticks. I took some photos of a doe and fawn next to our house a few years ago and the number of ticks on those critters made my stomach turn. It is sickening. The deer hang around the house drop those blood filled ticks all over the place...
I need to do some chemical based tick control, I know what I want to do, I just need to find some time and money....
We have gotten somewhat used to the chigger bites... Let me tell you about the mass of No-See-Um bites I got on vacation......
Later,
Dan
We let the chickens out of the garden(temp chicken run) most afternoons while the eggs are collected, feed checked and water filled. The chickens get a few hours outside of the garden run most days but they have not made a dent in our tigger load. I am just talking about a small part of the back yard too. We would needs a huge chicken flock to take care of bugs around the house. Last time I used the BBQ, I got tiggered. The BBQ is on gravel and I don't go near grass this time of year unless wearing long pants tucked into long socks and coating same with chemicals. Tiggers are everywhere. Usually they are in the grass for sure but I see them all over the $%&*() place. My mom was visiting and got some sitting on the porch. Danged little heat seekers....
For years we have had 7-9 does around the house but in the last two years it has only been two. The coyotes have taken down the herd for sure. I hope this will mean the tigger load will drop but I have yet to see any evidence that this is a happening. I think my hope is really wishful thinking since each deer has huge numbers of ticks. I took some photos of a doe and fawn next to our house a few years ago and the number of ticks on those critters made my stomach turn. It is sickening. The deer hang around the house drop those blood filled ticks all over the place...
I need to do some chemical based tick control, I know what I want to do, I just need to find some time and money....
We have gotten somewhat used to the chigger bites... Let me tell you about the mass of No-See-Um bites I got on vacation......
Later,
Dan
I've always heard that guinea hens are best for tick control. As for predators; I'm surprised that none of you have lost any to weasels. Thwy can get into any hole a mouse can; and kill with restless abandon. (I lost 32 young birds in a night last year; and 5 laying hens in 3 days this year.)
OP
gocards1177
Gold Member
Your experience has been the most discouraging I've heard so far, but like you said, I think I'll just have to try it and see what happens.
EE_Bota
Veteran Member
Dan's bad to sleepwalk, and sometimes he's hungry...
teejk
Veteran Member
- Joined
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- Merrillan, WI
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Effective tick control will follow world peace. The bad ones (deer ticks that carry the Lyme and now anaplasmosis and yet a new one coming from the west) start with the mice and then move to bigger hosts. With all the rabbits and squirrels and deer around here, I gave up trying to eliminate them. Close inspection is a rule around here. I've heard that hot showers drive them out of their hiding spots. Seems to me that a big Pharma Company should develop an over the counter home test kit.
OP
gocards1177
Gold Member
I don't aspire to elimination. Reduction would give me a sense of satisfaction.
cqaigy2
Super Member
Whoa Whoa Whoa, it's one thing picking off the poultry but when they're going to bamboozle with the beer!! You gotta put a stop to it. :laughing: