Subject: Re: ticks and chiggers
From: [email-masked] (Larry London)
Date: 15 Jul 1994 10:46:27 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Stephen Hawthorne) writes:
>
>Our community of families is rehabbing an old farm in NC along permaculture
>lines. We are inundated with ticks and chiggers.  Any environmentally
>sound ways of controlling these pests?  Thanks,
>                                       Stephen Hawthorne
>                                       Blue Heron Farm

Guinea fowl are inclined to eat ticks in great quantities. They produce
some of the best tasting eggs available and are probably good meat birds too.

Lawrence
[email-masked]

Here's more:
-

From: [email-masked] (ANDY NACHBAUR)
Newsgroups: alt.agriculture.misc
Subject: Guinea fowl?
Date: Wed,  2 Mar 1994 02:28:00 GMT
Organization: Wild Bee's BBS, 209-826-8107

     I have had experience with guinea and pea fowl in Monterey,
Merced, and Mariposia counties.

     First, check for any noise ordnances...they all make a lot of
racket that is quite unsettling to the neighbors, even out in the
country, whats left of it in California.

    As for feeding them when young they do well on most any game
bird or chicken chow, or you can look for some high price special
stuff for them. They are really adapt at fending for themselves and
we never discouraged them from doing just that. They need places they
can hide at night, like a big brush pile, or trees they can get into
to roost. If you let them they will be happy to set in a tree over the
roof of your home and scream bloody murder when you least expect it.
With pea fowl your neighbors 5 miles down the road may call 911 to
report you are murdering your wife.

    The guinea hens are not as bad as the pea fowl, they can defend
themselves and are quick, will do well on their own and reproduce.
Dog packs will work them over at times if they are roosting on the
ground. After the young hatch they are soon on their own, and may
require a little extra care when small if you expect 100% success.

    I think they are great if you have the space, I don't think
guinea's or peacocks are pen birds.

Subject: Guniea Hens against ticks & fleas
Date: Tue, 19 May 92 20:00:25 GMT

Guinea hens, free-ranging, eat lots of fleas and ticks.

Raising them is neither hard nor expensive.  They cost $2 per/chick
in my area (NE). Initially they must be kept in a wire cage inside,
with a light bulb burning (this is when they're newly-hatched).  At
this point they eat a mash(check with your local feed barn).  In a
few weeks (they're fast growers) they need a bigger cage.  After
3-4 months, they are ready to be released, but don't release all of
them at once.  They have a nasty, ungrateful habit of simply making
fast feet to parts unknown and you never see them again.

To prevent this, release only 2 of them at first.  They like to
flock and will hang around waiting for the rest of their flock to
join them.  After a week, let out another one; after 4 days,
release another and so on.  The idea is that by the time the entire
flock is released(usually folks buy 9-12 of them) they're used to
the area and stay there.

Foxes and raccoons do eat them, so stock replenishment is usually
required from time to time.  Some seem to be smaarter than others
and survive our foxes, raccoons, and coyotes.  Guinea hens roost in
trees at night so that keeps them safe at the worst predator times.

My cats are terrorized by them and leave them alone.  I'm not sure
about dogs.

They're awfully funny.  They sound like someone breaking a bunch of
dishes when they cackle.  They run real fast and altogether
resemble something a cartoonist would have created.

Good Luck
Kathy

Subject: ticks
Date: 18 May 92 18:10:17 GMT

Guinea hens!!!  They eat ticks and fleas--they eat a whole lot of
them.  I never believed this until I moved to a 32 acre farm with
guinea hens(the farm has had them for the last 10 years).  The farm
has NOT had fleas or ticks for the last 10 years.  This is
remarkable because other places in the area (where I lived) had
many fleas and , dangerously enough, deer ticks. They're pretty
cheap to buy around here--2 bucks a chick.

Kathy