How do chicken ticks appear? - briefly
Adult female ticks deposit eggs in the coop litter or adjacent vegetation. The larvae that hatch seek out chickens, attach, and develop through nymphal stages into adult ticks.
How do chicken ticks appear? - in detail
Chicken ticks become a problem for poultry when adult females lay eggs on the ground or in the litter of a coop. The eggs hatch into six‑legged larvae after 5‑14 days, depending on temperature and humidity. Larvae climb onto vegetation, wait for a host, and attach to a chicken or other bird for a brief blood meal. After feeding, they drop off and develop into eight‑legged nymphs, which also seek a host. Nymphs feed, then detach to molt into adults, completing the cycle in 2‑4 weeks under optimal conditions.
Key environmental factors that promote the emergence of these ectoparasites include:
- Warm temperatures (25‑30 °C) that accelerate development.
- High relative humidity (70‑80 %) that prevents desiccation of eggs and larvae.
- Dense ground cover or straw litter that provides shelter for off‑host stages.
- Presence of wild birds, rodents, or other mammals that can serve as alternative hosts.
Management practices that interrupt the life cycle are:
- Regular removal and replacement of coop bedding to eliminate egg‑laying sites.
- Drying the litter between flocks or using sand instead of straw to reduce moisture retention.
- Treating the environment with approved acaricides or diatomaceous earth after thorough cleaning.
- Controlling wildlife access to the run by installing netting or fencing.
- Monitoring flocks for attached ticks and promptly removing them to prevent reproduction.
When these conditions are mitigated, the population of chicken ticks declines because the stages that occur off the host cannot survive long enough to reach adulthood and reproduce.