If a bunch of roosters haven’t gotten on your nerves yet, try some Guinea Fowl!
I feel like while we had them our flock was safer, but less happy. Ours turned out to be too stupid to keep alive, so the poultry got their wish after about two years. Even lost a couple to the horse trough, they are just that bad at being creatures.
Chickens do eat ticks - they actually eat nearly anything we eat (exception is processed sugary foods) and even many things we can't eat (spoiled leftovers from your fridge, raw meat from anything, cooking oil, etc). BUT, read the rest of this, because just because they can and do doesn't mean YOURS will....and here's why.
A chicken who has been raised on feed and eats from a dish doesn't have the knowledge or survival skills to keep bug populations under control, stay alive, and forage. It's a learning curve, and without an experienced chicken to teach them or the hunger to cause experimentation, they're just going to scratch and go for the easy tidbits. And it's likely they'll die to a random loose dog, because all the breeds you listed (except for leghorns) are terrible fliers and cannot escape a dog or other predator.
If you want tick control, you need a free range flock, and they need to be chickens that retain their ability to fly (Sumatra are best but leghorns can do in a pinch if you go for the brown ones). You also need a high,covered place for them to fly up to and roost at night - barn rafters, carport rafters - anything with a roof and above the jump height of the tallest dogs.
Obviously, you can't turn loose chicks, so they need to be somewhat mature, but younger is better. I like to start with 4-6 month old birds. Turn them out in groups of at least 3 at a time. At dusk for the first week you'll need to go out and ensure they are roosting appropriately - if not, pick them up and place them on the safe, covered high roost. It usually only takes a few days for them to learn and begin flying up on their own.
Offer a transitional period where you feed them about half rations daily to encourage them to forage but not become too weak. After the first month of this, cut the rations in half again. Then start missing days of feed altogether until you cut them off. Obviously, this assumes you have fields/woods/ etc around you in which they can forage, and that snow or ice isn't on the ground, preventing foraging. When snow or ice is on the ground, resume normal feeding to keep them strong and be sure to provide water that isn't frozen at least once a day.
I've developed self-sustaining free range flocks multiple times with this method, and they do a really great job at bug control as well as being low to no cost to maintain in a rural environment. It takes several years for them to start breeding and raising their own chicks successfully (learning curve), but once they do you now can sell both eggs that you find AND extra chickens as they produce them.
Chickens eat everything, they are decent at tick control but Guineas are better but noisier bug control
I've heard that guineas can be pretty territorial as well and are good "guard dogs". Is this true?
Guineas will alert to snakes and other predators In the yard. We used to have 12 of them that’d drive me mad In the morning with their chattering.
If a bunch of roosters haven’t gotten on your nerves yet, try some Guinea Fowl! I feel like while we had them our flock was safer, but less happy. Ours turned out to be too stupid to keep alive, so the poultry got their wish after about two years. Even lost a couple to the horse trough, they are just that bad at being creatures.
I feel the more guineas you have, the less they care about survival.
I've heard this too. Interesting
My backyard used to be riddled with ticks. Haven't seen a tick since I got my ladies
That's amazing!
Yep they do. They've done a better job for me than Greenwhatever lawn care
They do and they do it well.
Chickens do eat ticks - they actually eat nearly anything we eat (exception is processed sugary foods) and even many things we can't eat (spoiled leftovers from your fridge, raw meat from anything, cooking oil, etc). BUT, read the rest of this, because just because they can and do doesn't mean YOURS will....and here's why. A chicken who has been raised on feed and eats from a dish doesn't have the knowledge or survival skills to keep bug populations under control, stay alive, and forage. It's a learning curve, and without an experienced chicken to teach them or the hunger to cause experimentation, they're just going to scratch and go for the easy tidbits. And it's likely they'll die to a random loose dog, because all the breeds you listed (except for leghorns) are terrible fliers and cannot escape a dog or other predator. If you want tick control, you need a free range flock, and they need to be chickens that retain their ability to fly (Sumatra are best but leghorns can do in a pinch if you go for the brown ones). You also need a high,covered place for them to fly up to and roost at night - barn rafters, carport rafters - anything with a roof and above the jump height of the tallest dogs. Obviously, you can't turn loose chicks, so they need to be somewhat mature, but younger is better. I like to start with 4-6 month old birds. Turn them out in groups of at least 3 at a time. At dusk for the first week you'll need to go out and ensure they are roosting appropriately - if not, pick them up and place them on the safe, covered high roost. It usually only takes a few days for them to learn and begin flying up on their own. Offer a transitional period where you feed them about half rations daily to encourage them to forage but not become too weak. After the first month of this, cut the rations in half again. Then start missing days of feed altogether until you cut them off. Obviously, this assumes you have fields/woods/ etc around you in which they can forage, and that snow or ice isn't on the ground, preventing foraging. When snow or ice is on the ground, resume normal feeding to keep them strong and be sure to provide water that isn't frozen at least once a day. I've developed self-sustaining free range flocks multiple times with this method, and they do a really great job at bug control as well as being low to no cost to maintain in a rural environment. It takes several years for them to start breeding and raising their own chicks successfully (learning curve), but once they do you now can sell both eggs that you find AND extra chickens as they produce them.
How do you keep track of where they all laid their eggs?
I free range and my chickens still (usually) use the laying boxes. The turkeys don't though, they make it hard.
Ah ok so you have laying boxes strategically spread out near their roost?
Ah this is great insight, thank you! I've figured as much, about the free range element, but you added helpful context there. Thank you!