The Weekly Crow
Three Plants & a Poultry Tractor Recommended Insect Control by USDA

The USDA recommends these three plants and a chicken tractor as an effective means of controlling fly, lice and other insects.

Three plants and a poultry tractor recommended insect control by USDA

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Free range Lovely Ladies at Chicken Heaven On Earth. 2013
02/19/2013-Every poultry farmer or backyard chicken enthusiast is aware of flies, lice, and ticks and is in a constant battle to get rid of them. Insect infestations occur more often in livestock manure than in chicken manure due to the high nitrogen content and quick drying capabilities in poultry feces. Wet live stock manure, wet or sour feed, and wet soiled bedding are three major causes of flies, horse flies, mosquitos, insect  larvae, and other parasitical hosts. There are several types of parasite control suggested for pest control in Animal Enhancement Activity – WQL18, but the two that interested me most were chickens and plants used for parasite control on commercial farms which can also be utilized by smaller operations, and for backyard poultry (chicken) farming as well.
One of many suggestions for fly, lice, and other insect control by the USDA are the use of portable poultry wagons to be brought to pastures where livestock manure is to control the breeding of flies. The poultry wagons are to be brought in 2-3 days after the livestock has been moved to a different pasture and the chickens are allowed to free range in the pasture eating insects and larvae.
"Incorporate pastured poultry, such as portable poultry wagons, into pasture rotations to eat fly larvae, 2-3 days after livestock leave pasture" (USDA, 2013).
Another form of suggested insect control for commercial farms which intrigues me is the use of certain plants to control parasites.
Plants for Parasite Control: 
  • Bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) 
  • Chicory (Chichorium intybus) 
  • Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense) (USDA, 2013).
The bottom line is that by utilizing a portable poultry (chicken tractor) and these three plants you can reduce the amount of lice, flies, and other insects that thrive in livestock manure, sour feed, and soiled bedding.
Reference:
Animal Enhancement Activity – WQL18- Non-Chemical Livestock Pest 
Control.United States Department of Agriculture 
Retrieved on 02/19/2013 from Natural Resources Conservation Service. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_014844.pdf