Ticks on chickens

[chrismahon]

Does anyone have experience of ticks on chickens, or even heard of it. Landlord's dog has been infected by a disease carrying tick and is under medication. The area our chickens are now ranging on had the occasional deer cross over it. My understanding is that deer and sheep are the carriers. How do I safely remove any ticks they may get? Presumably they will attach to the comb and wattles if they do, but I expected chickens to eat any they found, including any they found on their companions?

 

[tygrysek75]

To be honest Chris I had never heard of ticks on birds,and if you find one the removal is same as with any other mamal,with tweezers and make sure you got the head.They can attach to the skin under the feathers so no just comb can be affected.We have loads of ticks in Poland I had never heard that this was a problem in bird population .

 

[Marigold]

When our dog gets a tick I spray a little Frontline to a cotton bud and dab the tick (not the dog) and it dies within 24 hours and can then be either pulled off or just left to wither away. Not sure if this is safe for chickens, but it might be the best way if the tick got the dose rather than the bird.

 

[chrismahon]

Thanks for the advice both. Think I will dab Frontline on any found with a cotton bud to avoid too much stress and separate the bird so the others don't eat the dying tick!

 

[foxy]

Thanks for the advice both. Think I will dab Frontline on any found with a cotton bud to avoid too much stress and separate the bird so the others don't eat the dying tick!

You could always use frontline as a preventative, although being mindful that Frontline is not licensed for poultry. Could you have a chat with a local vet to see if the issue has cropped up before?

 

[chrismahon]

Not that simple Foxy in this location. But may try the one in Sarlat if we are passing as she speaks some English.

 

[BabyBantam]

Be careful if removing ticks manually. Leaving the head buried in flesh can cause infection. If the tick is killed using frontline (as experienced by me ad our dog) the tick doesn't always drop off and can also mean that the head is left buried. There is also a large lump that seems to come as part of the deal - not an issue but can be a bit worrying if not expected.
We've had ticks in our garden left by passing rabbits that have ended up on the dog, but personally I think chickens are far too keen of eye not to spot the yummy mortal before the tick gets a chance to spot the chicken

 

[chrismahon]

I thought they would eat the ticks as well BB. Hopefully we won't have a problem but at least I know how to deal with it if we do.