How to Treat Turkeys for Ticks

Turkeys are most often infested with the lone star tick, which is typically found in the southeastern United States. These ticks lay eggs on wild grass and plants. The larvae hatches and moves up the plant to latch onto the turkeys as they go by. Unlike other ticks, these ticks move rapidly. Eventually thousands fall onto any unsuspecting turkey or other animal crossing through the tall grass. Removing the lone star tick from your turkeys is crucial, because the ticks carry infectious diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Ehrlichiosis.

Things You'll Need

  • Petroleum jelly
  • Antibacterial soap
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Instructions

    • 1

      Isolate the turkey that is infested with ticks. Inspect the turkey's skin thoroughly. Put rubber gloves on and manually remove the ticks with tweezers. Grasp the tick with the tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pull up with a steady hand. Avoid twisting or jerking the tick as this will leave the teeth in the skin and can cause further infection to the turkey.

    • 2

      Fill a large bucket with warm water. Wet the turkey with the warm water and carefully wash the turkey with antibacterial shampoo once or twice. Make sure you are methodical to get rid of all the ticks.

    • 3

      Buy a tick antidote for small animals, which you can get over the counter, and apply it to the turkey. Tick antidotes will prevent reoccurrence of the ticks.

    • 4

      Inspect the turkey again after a few days and contact a veterinarian if infection occurs. Infections are caused by ineffective tick removal where tick teeth were left in the animal's skin.