title: Predation of livestock ticks by chickens as a tick-control method in a resource-poor urban environment.
abstract: The possible use of chickens as predators of livestock ticks was studied. Chickens were allowed to scavenge for 3 h among tick-infested cattle in a typical township backyard during the milking period. Boophilus decoloratus, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi and Otobius megnini were recovered from the crops and gizzards at necropsy. The numbers of ticks ingested ranged from 0-128, with an average of 28.81 (+/- 8.42) per chicken. This study has confirmed that chickens are natural predators of livestock ticks and that chickens can be used as part of an integrated tick control plan in urban cattle-management systems in resource-poor communities in South Africa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dreyer
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Fourie
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kok
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D002645:Chickens; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D013019:South Africa; D013983:Tick Control / Q000379:methods*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D014505:Urban Population