Tick protection

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lilnickers

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northern ny
Hi, I haven't been on here in ages!! I am so glad to see the forum is still thriving!

I have a question:

What does everyone use for a tick deterrent?

I have 15 minis and wonder if the Equi-Spot that is made for big horses would be ok for the minis.

Or any other ideas that work!

Thank you!!
 
I had a pony have a reaction to equi spot years ago so I won't use it. I just spray their legs, their belly and make sure I get an application of bug spray in that deep groove under their chin and between their jowls as that is where I usually find a tick if I'm going to find one. I spray the rest of the body, but those areas are where I concentrate on. I hate ticks. Over the years I have had two horses with Lyme and one with anaplasmosis.
 
I found one of the best deterrents to ticks to be Guinneas! Wow, do they chase down and get rid of them...

Other than that, I've done a variety of things over the years and I'm very glad that I don't have any "true" minis under 36" in height. The worst tick infestation that I dealt with, in 2012, was pretty awful and I regularly found them attached to the mares' vulva/genital areas & udder, too (& wonder about the stallions/geldings - but never saw any there). The same treatment, from year to year, didn't always work - really depended on the ticks themselves as well as the ponies.
 
We have had a resurgence of wild turkeys in this area and they do a pretty good job of keeping down the bugs like guinea hens. I wonder if domesticated turkeys would do the same.

The wild ones are fun to watch. Pretty tame, too. But the horses hate them. Or at least mine do.
 
We have tried guineas here. Too many varmints. We couldn't keep them.
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I'm sorry! We are in the same "boat" here on our new property. I can't "keep" free range birds - like you - too many predators, even neighborhood dogs that dig under our pasture perimeter fence(s).

We are getting electrified netting for "pasturing" the birds and will see if that will work. It's a permaculture/gardening "thing" and the "pastures" can be moved to move the goodness of the birds around the areas you want them in. Guineas have a tendency to fly over the fencing though. Heavier birds do not.
 
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default_gaah.gif
default_crybaby.gif


I'm sorry! We are in the same "boat" here on our new property. I can't "keep" free range birds - like you - too many predators, even neighborhood dogs that dig under our pasture perimeter fence(s).

We are getting electrified netting for "pasturing" the birds and will see if that will work. It's a permaculture/gardening "thing" and the "pastures" can be moved to move the goodness of the birds around the areas you want them in. Guineas have a tendency to fly over the fencing though. Heavier birds do not.
Yes, the guineas we had preferred to roost in the trees, like wild turkeys.
 

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