We have a variety of ticks and chiggers at our pond. Mostly, we see them when we walk back and forth to it - about 75 yards from the road. (Our road is in such disrepair that we only occasionally drive down it.)
I'd love to have chickens but we have lots of coyotes so, I expect that any chickens we tried to put on the property would just become coyote snacks.
I use "regular strength" insect repellent sprayed liberally around my shoes and socks and on my hat. I've always heard that ticks like to fall out of the trees onto their intended victims - that might be a myth. I have some Permanone that my wife bought for her trip to Africa but didn't use. In the peak of the season, I may give it a try.
The main thing is that we check ourselves thoroughly and get those things off as fast as we can and watch for any rashes or other signs.
