[Jacob-list] flies

[cagco at penn.com]

Although they can be a pain because they tend to lay eggs anywhere (including
the garden, the porch and under car tires), guinea fowl prefer ticks to just
about any other form of insect.  As a result, they are wonderful at tick
control.  Plus, there is a "watchdog" benefit:  whenever someone drives up the
lane, they cry "buckwheat! buckwheat!".  So far, nobody has ever been able to
sneak up on us.

Cliff Grunstra
Wycliffe Estate Farms

D&K OBERLEF wrote:

> We had one chick at our other farm that got left behind when the flock was
> moved down to the garden (they lived in a portable pen for the summer.)
> This little survivor refused to be caught and instead shacked up with the
> sheep.  It spent it's days riding around on their backs.  When threatened in
> any way it would dart around and through all those black hooves.  Impossible
> to catch either for us or that hungry fox.  We thoroughly enjoyed the
> antics.
>
> Here at this place we built a short chicken run that connects the coop and
> the sheep pasture.  Early afternoon (we find most of the eggs are laid in
> the coop this way) we open the small opening and the chickens come pouring
> out cackling and happy with the roosters dancing about and flirting with the
> hens. They scratch around finding who knows what and gulping down insects.
> By sundown, they are all back in the coop and we close the door.
>
> Happy to hear they like ticks!  Since moving here a year and a half ago, we
> have seen more dog ticks than we can count. Any other tricks to get rid of
> them would be highly appreciated.  Hope the chickens help. Katrina Lefever