Best insect eating chickens

[appleacres]

Hello,

Not sure if this is the right thread--what are the hands down best chicken types to get for pest control?

I know about guineas, but I can't find anyone locally who sells them at this time of year--I want fully feathered birds by the beginning of May (our orchard has it's major pest issues from May-June) I even tried ordering 15 guineas in the mail, but it was too cold in the mail and the mail was delayed, and they didn't make it. Don't want to put birds through that again!

I can walk into many feed stores at this point and see baby chickens--but I am ONLY looking for pest control, not meat or egg birds.

Thoughts?

 

[CluckerFamily]

What kind of pests do you want to illuminate?
Are you wanting a chicken that lays an egg almost everyday?
Are you only allowed hens where you live?

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

Hands down free ranged cornish cross broilers. They have saved my remote gardens many times. I have used chickens for pest control among high value organic crops and the CornishX are worth three regular chickens as far as bug control. Now you will have big fat birds to deal with in the fall. So consider that. The young broilers are so driven by their appetite that they are constantly gorging on grasshoppers and other bugs.

 

[SulkyBantam]

Are you willing to house and feed them also?

 

[appleacres]

Thanks--

What kind of pests do you want to illuminate?
Are you wanting a chicken that lays an egg almost everyday?
Are you only allowed hens where you live?

I am looking to eliminate apple pests--these would be plum curculio weavils, japanese beatles, sawfly and tarnished plant bug. I do not care about egg production--I mean, it's great, but not a motivator at all. I live on a farm so I can have either hens or roosters.

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

Thanks--

I am looking to eliminate apple pests--these would be plum curculio weavils, japanese beatles, sawfly and tarnished plant bug. I do not care about egg production--I mean, it's great, but not a motivator at all. I live on a farm so I can have either hens or roosters.

Keep in mind they are only going to help with ground pests. The flying moths and the catepillars that get hatched on the trees are still going to be there. I plant sorghum to attract predatory wasps to handle the moth catepillars.

 

[appleacres]

Are you willing to house and feed them also?

Yes we'd definitely have a coop--I would like to feed as minimally as possible to encourage bug eating, but would obviously give them food to make sure they had enough to eat.

 

[3KillerBs]

Do you sell your produce?

If so, there are almost certainly regulations about having animals in the orchard because of salmonella.

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

Plymouth Rocks are great, the only breed I would say not to get it probably wyandottes. Other people may have other experience but my wyandottes just hang around the coop all day long while the rest of the flock goes off the eat things. Cream leg bars are good, Australorps, Marans. My BSL is a very good worm-finder. Most chickens will do great, however my Plymouth Rock is my best free ranger, always going further than the other chickens and almost solely eats bugs and grass. Also, if you have problems with slugs and snails you will need ducks, they do a great job and chickens won't eat them (won't eat the snails/slugs I mean )

 

[appleacres]

Do you sell your produce?

If so, there are almost certainly regulations about having animals in the orchard because of salmonella.

Yes--I am certified organic. I know and can follow the regulations--it's an orchard so they are different.