Guinea fowl are a great addition to any backyard. They’re extremely friendly, easy to care for, and can be raised in large numbers. If you have ticks in your yard, you may wonder if guinea fowl will eat them.
Do Guinea Fowl Eat Ticks?
Although guinea fowl eat ticks, they do not eat them as part of their diet. Ticks are parasites that attach themselves to mammals, birds, or reptiles when they are looking for a host on which to feed. Guinea fowl will often eat ticks off of other animals without killing them first.
In addition to eating ticks off of other animals, guinea fowl will also attack and kill ticks if they find one on themselves. This is because ticks are known carriers of disease and parasites that can affect other animals as well as humans.
Ticks typically attach themselves to animals by using their mouth parts to pierce the skin and insert their proboscis into the flesh so that they can feed on blood from the host animal’s veins. This feeding process can cause irritation, inflammation, pain, and anemia in mammals (including humans), birds, or reptiles who have been bitten by ticks.
How Do Guinea Fowl Eat Ticks?
Guinea fowl have very sharp beaks and claws that allow them to easily tear into ticks’ hard exoskeletons when they eat them. Their strong muscles also allow them to crush the ticks while they eat them so that they can’t latch onto their host animal’s flesh by injecting their saliva into their bodies.
How Many Ticks Do Guinea Fowl Eat?
Guinea fowl are omnivores, meaning they eat a variety of plants and animals. They’re not as picky as chickens and will eat just about anything, including ticks.
How Many Ticks Do Guinea Fowl Eat?
Ticks can be found on the grasses and brush where guinea fowl graze, so it’s no surprise that they consume many ticks each day. A single guinea fowl can consume between 60 and 100 ticks each day.
How Dangerous Are Ticks for Guinea Fowl?
Ticks are parasites that can be found in many different parts of the world. They attach themselves to the skin of their hosts and feed on blood. In general, ticks can be dangerous for any animal because they can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
It’s important to keep in mind that ticks are not a specific threat to guinea fowl but they can carry diseases that may be harmful to guinea fowl if they come in contact with them. If a tick bites your guinea fowl and it later dies from the bite, you should consider having it tested for the presence of any diseases that might affect humans.
On the other hand, if your guinea fowl has been bitten by a tick but does not show any symptoms of illness, there is no need to worry about this event as long as it doesn’t happen again in the future.
Natural Remedies for Ticks on Guinea Fowl
When you keep guinea fowl, you have to deal with ticks. Guinea fowl are very susceptible to ticks and other parasites that can make their lives miserable.
There are many natural remedies for ticks on guinea fowl that help your birds stay healthy and happy. Here are some of the best ones:
Apple Cider Vinegar – Mix one part apple cider vinegar with three parts water and spray this solution on your guinea fowl once a week. This will help kill off any existing ticks on them and prevent others from attaching themselves to them as well.
Garlic – Garlic contains sulfur compounds that work well to repel ticks from attaching themselves to your birds’ feathers. Crush up two cloves of garlic and mix this with 1/2 cup of water, then let the mixture sit for about two hours before using it on your birds. Put this mixture into a spray bottle and spray it directly onto your guinea fowl every day or two during tick season (from spring through fall).
Tea Tree Oil – Tea tree oil has been shown in studies to be effective at killing off many types of parasites including fleas, mites, and ticks! Simply add 2-3 drops of tea tree oil per gallon of water.
Diatomaceous Earth – Diatomaceous earth is a powder made from the fossilized remains of one-celled diatoms. Diatomaceous earth works by dehydrating and killing the ticks, who are then able to fall off your guinea fowl. You can purchase diatomaceous earth at most garden supply stores or online. Use it liberally on your guinea fowl and other pets as an effective tick control method!
Cedar Oil – Cedar oil is another natural repellent for ticks on guinea fowl. Cedar oils smell like pine, which discourages ticks from approaching your guinea fowl (or any other animal). You can use cedar oil in a spray bottle or with a diffuser by simply adding 1 part cedar oil to 10 parts water, then spraying it on your guinea fowl and other pets three times per week to prevent ticks!
Are Guinea Fowl Easy to Keep?
Guinea fowl are easy to keep, but they’re not the best choice for a beginner. They’re noisy, they’re messy, and they’re destructive. As a result, they aren’t recommended for small children or people who want a tame pet that’s easy to handle and care for.
On the other hand, guinea fowl are very hardy and can be kept in almost any climate. When cared for properly, they can live six or seven years — or even longer.
Conclusion
Guinea fowl are very good at finding ticks in your yard because they have excellent eyesight and hearing. Their hearing is so sensitive that they can hear crickets chirping from up to a mile away!
If you have guineas running around your property, there’s no doubt that they’ll find any ticks hiding out in the tall grass or under rocks or logs before they have a chance to bite you or your pets.
