Chickens keep ticks at bay for Finnish homeowners

Free-roaming chickens have proven effective at reducing tick populations in Finnish yards, according to local poultry enthusiasts and researchers.

Pia Mathlin, a resident of Raahe in northern Finland, reports that her property has been free of ticks for years since she introduced chickens. Her flock of 17 birds—including hens, two roosters, and two ducks—patrols the yard, pecking at the ground and consuming ticks along with other insects. Neighbouring properties without chickens continue to struggle with tick infestations, she told public broadcaster Yle.

Liisa Hirvonen of Viitasaari in central Finland shares a similar experience. Now in her fifth year keeping chickens, she has observed a significant drop in ticks. Social media comments from others have echoed her findings, she said.

Petra Tuunainen, a poultry researcher at Finland’s Natural Resources Institute, confirms that chickens can eat dozens or even hundreds of ticks a day under the right conditions. Chickens are opportunistic feeders, consuming small moving creatures in large quantities. However, she notes that while chickens are a useful addition to tick control, they do not eliminate the problem entirely. Ticks can still enter yards, and chicken feed may attract wild rodents and birds that carry ticks.

For chickens to be effective, they must be allowed to roam freely—a practice permitted in Finland since the start of June, when this year’s outdoor poultry restriction ended.