Got Ticks? Chickens Might be the Best Way to Get Rid of Ticks! Ticks are dangerous little arachnids. They can carry over a dozen different diseases such as Powassan virus, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
In Florida, ticks are most active throughout Spring and Summer.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recently released that in the United States illnesses caused by mosquitos, ticks, and fleas have tripled since 2004. If someone has symptoms such as fever, a sore neck, tiredness, headaches, bull’s eye looking rashes, nausea, or any kind of aches all over their body, it could possibly be tick-related. Lyme Disease can cause other serious issues like heart problems, joint pain, and nervous system degeneration over time.
Tick Prevention:
There are many ways to fight these nuisances. Common ways to keep ticks at a distance is by keeping your grass short, spraying for bugs, and reducing leaf litter. Tactics such as these, however, can get expensive, tiresome, and often times they don’t work. One of the best ways to get rid of an arachnid problem is to produce a predator: chickens.
Chickens don’t only eat vegetation, in fact, they are omnivores. A scientific study in 1991 tested the effect they had on tick reduction in a controlled environment. The results showed that not only were they a natural predator of ticks, but also that they removed an average of 81 ticks each among infested cattle. Chickens protected farm animals from arachnid sourced diseases in this case, which means they can also help households by protecting pets and family members from ticks.
Although chickens won’t eliminate the tick problem entirely, they can keep it controlled. Another predator besides chickens are guinea hens. They are omnivores and can help with insect, arachnid, and small pest problems. Unlike chickens, however, guinea do have a tendency to be loud. If the noise can be tolerated, these little hens can help keep disease away from your home.
Kissimmee Valley Feed has all your chicken and guinea needs covered. Check out our poultry feed selection here.
Resource: Texas Hill Country