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Ticks are tiny parasites crawling on the skin's surface. They will become a real problem if you get birds in your hen house. Sources of infection can be already sick chickens, as well as wild birds and rodents. In addition, ticks can catch on shoes or clothing, and thus get into the hen house. These parasites are active in the warm season, especially in summer, but some species are able to survive in cold climates. Although the life cycle of ticks is very short - only 5–7 days, during this time each parasite can lay more than 100,000 eggs. Therefore, for the complete recovery of animals, treatment courses must be repeated for some time.
Signs of tick occurrence in chickens
Ticks can be found in different places. Some of them live on the body of birds all the time, while others live in the hen house: during the day they hide under the perches, in cracks on the walls and under the bedding, and at night they leave their shelters to feed themselves. Parasites bite through the skin and suck blood. This can lead not only to discomfort, but also to the loss of feathers, anemia, and in some cases even the death of birds.
If your chickens suddenly became reluctant to enter the hen-house in the evening, or stopped using nesting grounds, this is a sure sign that they have ticks.
Chickens love to take dust baths on dry ground or sand. If you add a little wood ash or diatomaceous earth( it is sold in packages), this will be a good prevention of tick infestation. However, often in very hot and humid areas, where the population of ticks thrives, or in the period of prolonged rains, when chickens do not have the opportunity to take dust baths, this method still does not help to escape from parasites.
Cleaning feathers and feathers too often can be a sign of infection by parasites.
If your hens have ticks, you will surely notice that they have begun to clean the plumage more often and pinch feathers under the wings and around the anus. On closer inspection, you can see tiny red or black specks near the anus, and when you look around the coop, you will find on the perch red stripes of blood or black grains that are felt when you run your hand over the surface.
Spray the chicken coop and roost for several days with a mixture of the following: 2 cups of water, 1 cup of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. This mixture will help destroy ticks. Before use, shake the product well, so it splits. Processing the chicken coop should be carried out at least 1-2 times a week for several weeks in parallel with the treatment of chickens. This 100% natural homemade spray will help get rid of the mites in the hen house
. You can spray a layer of diatomaceous earth on the hen house floor and nesting site, and rub the mixture into the surface of the roosts. As necessary, processing is repeated.
Wormwood( Artemisia) is another effective natural remedy for tick infestation. Tie bunches of wormwood to the perches, lay sachets in nesting sites, or hang cut plants throughout the chicken coop. This is an excellent tool that you can constantly use to scare ticks.
Juice of garlic in combination with plant essential oils - a proven remedy for mite control
To cure chickens, spray them with garlic juice. Scientists from UK have found that this tool can kill 100% of all ticks in 24 hours. It can be used to treat birds and as a prophylactic agent.
To prepare such a natural spray, you will need:
- 300 ml of water
- 30 ml of garlic juice
- 1 tsp( total) of any combination of these essential oils - garlicleaf, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, lavender, mint and / or cumin.
Mix all ingredients well in a spray bottle and spray chickens with this agent twice a week for prophylaxis, or every other day for 2-3 weeks in case of tick infestation. Pay special attention to the areas around the anus and under the wings. After spraying, it is also recommended to treat chickens with diatomaceous earth, rubbing the powder into the skin and plumage. At the same time be careful - try not to let dust( them or you) get into your eyes and lungs. Simultaneous treatment of chickens and processing of the coop will help get rid of ticks.
If the chicken has pincers on its paws, the scales will not be smooth, but raised up
Pincers on the paws are another kind of external parasites that hide under the scales, from which they rise.
If you notice such signs, spray the chicken legs with a solution of garlic juice, and then lubricate them with natural petroleum jelly( or its analogs with natural additives).Such treatment will help not only to scare away, but also to destroy the ticks - they will die from suffocation.
Iron-rich foods will help in the treatment of chickens infected with ticks.
When treating chickens infected with ticks, it is recommended to increase iron intake to prevent anemia.
Foods high in iron include: eggs, meat, fish, poultry, seafood, spinach, beet tops, dandelion greens, sweet potatoes, broccoli, kale, curly currants, strawberries, watermelon, raisins, wheat products, oatmeal, corn, molasses. The introduction of these products in the diet of chickens will contribute to a better recovery of weakened birds - when infected, not only the level of iron in the blood decreases, but also the immune system weakens. Adding cloves of fresh garlic in drinking water or garlic powder in food will be a good prevention of infection, since parasites do not like the taste of the blood of those birds in whose diet garlic is present. In addition, this useful product enhances the immunity of sick chickens during treatment.
Regular inspection of chickens makes it possible to detect signs of infection at an early stage.
The best prevention of most of the problems associated with diseases is frequent inspection and knowledge of how a healthy and sick animal should look.
Regular, frequent and thorough inspection of chickens will allow you to detect and solve problems before they get out of control. With a careful study of the area under the wings and around the anus, you can catch the parasites before they begin to multiply. Detection of the first signs of disease and quick treatment will help kill ticks before the massive infection of birds begins. Areas for dust baths filled with dry soil or sand, diatomaceous earth and wood ash will also be good prevention of tick infestation for the flocks of your chickens.
