Most farms have chickens. They can be very beneficial to have around. Not only will you enjoy farm-fresh eggs every morning, but they're great at keeping bugs under control. You can reduce the flies and ticks on your horse farm will a small flock of chickens and/or guinea fowl. You won't believe the difference they can make!

Chickens to the Rescue

Chickens are opportunists. They'll eat flies, fly larvae, worms, grubs, and bees. Basically, anything they can catch and pick up. Allowing them to free range around your barnyard can greatly reduce the fly population naturally. You may still need to use fly traps, but the amount won't be nearly as bad.

A flock of guineas can nearly eradicate your tick population. Each one can eat almost 1,000 ticks in a day. This type of fowl is a little different than chickens, so make sure to do your research on them before bringing some home.

chickens COWGIRL magazine
A flock of chickens in the grass. Photo by Zoe Schaeffer.

Chickens are low maintenance. They have basic needs like shelter, fresh water, and layer feed. They can also be entertaining to watch! You can even use them to desensitize your horse to flapping, squawking, and unusual sounds. The benefits surely outweigh the amount of work they require.

Before turning to chemicals for your fly problem, try something natural like chickens. You may be surprised with how much you enjoy having these "ladies" around.

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