Tick killers

My chickens have not totally eliminated the ticks on my farm, but they have done an outstanding job of controlling them (“The Trouble With Ticks,” EQUUS 456). I used to have to pick two to three dozen ticks off of myself after just walking to the mailbox and back. Now I may find as many as three, but usually none.

The chickens eat not only ticks but also maggots, grasshoppers, crickets, grubs and just about any other insect they can catch as well as any feed the horses drop. The chickens also lay lots of eggs, and the dogs get to eat some, which lowers the cost of feeding them. The dogs also help protect the chickens from predators. Mine were raised from baby chicks, and the dogs watched me care for them and have always been protective of them. They are really nice to have around. Elaine Kelly Kenbridge,Virginia