[slowef]

Double yuk,    found a tick on my poor little Polish Bantums head today.  In the paper this week there is a warning about ticks being very bad and causing Lime Disease so keep a check on your birds and get the off asap
 :x

[Aunt Sally]

Ticks on chickens are not very common slowef so bad luck.

I will do a bit of research and add something about ticks to the External Parasites sticky.  Thanks slowef  

[slowef]

It was on my Polish which has a fluffy hood of feathers it was right in the middle of .its eyes so easy to spot.  

Quote
"What diseases can a tick carry?
Three of the diseases that can be caught from a tick bite in Britain are, Lyme borreliosis, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis. Globally, the list of diseases is much longer.

Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis [bore-EL-ee-OH-sis] is caused by bacteria called Borrelia. Early symptoms can develop within weeks. They may include tiredness, chills, fever, headache, muscle and/or joint pain, swollen lymph glands and blurred vision. A characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans may appear. It is generally a circular rash that may clear in the centre, resulting in a "Bull's eye" appearance. It can expand and move around the body.

If early symptoms are not recognised, serious complications can develop weeks, months, or even years later. Later stage symptoms include arthritis in the large joints, which can recur over many years. Nervous system problems are common, e.g. numbness, meningitis (with fever, stiff neck and severe headache), Bell’s palsy (paralysis of the facial muscles) and memory problems. Some people experience irregularities of the heart rhythm.

Lyme disease should be diagnosed by a physical examination and medical history. This clinical diagnosis may in some cases be supported by laboratory testing. Diagnosis based on tests alone is not reliable – a negative result does not mean that the disease is not present. Symptoms can mimic those of other diseases. Diagnosis is easiest when there is a skin rash but this occurs in under 50% of patients.

Babesiosis [bab-EE-see-OH-sis] is caused by the Babesia parasite, an organism similar to that causing malaria. This attacks the red blood cells and its existence can only be shown by laboratory identification of the parasite. Symptoms, if any, begin with tiredness, loss of appetite and a general ill feeling. In severe cases, as the infection progresses, fever, drenching sweats, muscle aches and headache can follow, leading to complications such as very low blood pressure, liver problems, severe haemolytic anaemia (a breakdown of red blood cells) and kidney failure. Other cases usually have a milder illness and often get better on their own. The symptoms can take from 1 to 12 months after the tick bite to appear and can last from several days to several months.

Ehrlichiosis [air-LICK-ee-OH-sis] is a bacterial attack upon the white blood cells. Symptoms usually appear 3 to 16 days after a tick bite. The most common symptoms are sudden high fever, tiredness, major muscle aches, severe headache, and, in some cases, a rash. Diagnosis is difficult, even in severe cases. Diagnostic tests are not widely available and the diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis is usually based on symptoms and a history of exposure to ticks. Severely ill patients can develop abnormally low numbers of white blood cells or platelets and kidney failure. "
Thanks to:      http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ticks.htm

[Bodger]

A quick squirt of household wasp spray gets em off a treat

[Aunt Sally]

Brilliant slowef, thanks.  I use that and credit it to you  

[slowef]

No worries

[KathyH]

A non-chemical way to remove ticks (works on ones on dogs) is as follows -
put your finger on the outercase of the tick and rotate it. Roll it round and round for a few minutes and when you stop you will find you can pick it off. It will have let go so the mouthparts aren't left inside the "victim".
Its the left over mouthparts that tend to make the site sore and even infected afterwards.

I think it must make the tick dizzy!

Anyway it works and the dogs haven't yelped or anything so it can't be too uncomfortable.
If you hate the thought of touching the tick just wear thin vinyl gloves.