The use of domestic chickens as laboratory hosts of the larvae of the bont tick, Amblyomma hebraeum.

A comparison of attachment, engorgement and moulting success of Amblyomma hebraeum larvae fed on domestic chickens and Himalayan giant white rabbits indicates that chickens are better hosts than the rabbits. Moreover the time needed for detachment of all engorged larvae is significantly less for chickens than for the rabbits. No evidence of induced immunity was found in chickens on re-infestation with larvae of A. hebraeum.