Raising Chickens and Poultry for Home Pest Control

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Every silver lining has a cloud

Guinea fowl have several drawbacks that may make them unsuitable for some homeowners. They are noisy and may be objectionable to nearby neighbors. Their droppings, which serve as an excellent fertilizer, may be unpleasant if the lawn is used for a playground area. (Guinea droppings do not, however, discourage Border collies from rolling in the fresh fertilizer to take advantage of the enticing smell. Or other dog breeds for that matter, but Border collies I can attest to personally.) 

Guineas prevent disease

According to a study published in the Wilson Bulletin, guinea fowl reduced the number of adult deer ticks on lawns adjacent to dense foliage at two sites on Long Island. Adult deer ticks have a 50 percent to 100 percent probability of being infected with the Lyme disease spirochete, so the presence of free-ranging guinea fowl may help reduce the probability of contracting Lyme disease from adult ticks on lawns and lawn edges. In addition, guinea fowl reduced the presence of other arthropods such as grasshoppers, millipedes and spiders, suggesting they may help reduce the need for chemical insecticides. 

It’s all about the scratch

Chickens also are great for controlling pests, especially in the garden. Not only do they love grasshoppers, they are excellent at defending a homestead from scorpions, termites, mice, flies and June bugs. Chickens, in turn, provide fertilizer, fresh eggs, meat and entertainment. 

Some folks let their chickens follow behind the garden tiller, catching squirming morsels that happen to turn up. Others use the chickens to till the garden with their endless scratching. This is best done when the garden is finished, or the birds should be confined to a portable pen (often called a chicken tractor). Otherwise, they will likely tear up your plants and poke holes in your prized tomatoes. Free ranging chickens will also help to break up horse and cattle manure, consuming fly larvae in the process, and if an unwise mouse decides to make a break across a hen’s path, there’s a good chance its life will be cut short. 

Gobble up the bugs

For centuries, people have raised turkeys for food and for the sheer joy of it. Turkeys are excellent insect foragers -- about the only insects turkeys will not eat are those they cannot catch. The major insect groups enjoyed by the turkey are beetles, true bugs, grasshoppers and leafhoppers. Young plants and new fruits may need to be protected from turkey pecking.

In spring, turkeys eat tender greens, shoots, tubers, leftover nuts and early insects. As the weather warms up, they eat more insects, including grasshoppers, beetles, weevils and larvae. Hens typically lead their young to vegetation-covered open areas rich with protein-providing insects, which make up 75 percent or more of the poults’ diet until four or five months old. As the poults grow, they consume spiders, ticks, millipedes, centipedes, snails and slugs. Turkeys eat a variety of foods depending on availability, preference and nutritional needs. All age classes eat insects when they are available, and nesting hens consume slugs to supplement their calcium requirements. 

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