fly control?

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There are a number of things that will do that though. Proper management for one. Fixing drainage problems, leaky waterers, absorbent bedding, deep litter, etc. There are also easier to get, cheaper products that will dry the litter, e.g., barn lime ($2 /50 lbs), hydrated lime ($7 / 50 lbs), gypsum ($8 / 50 lbs). I've used gypsum under the waterers because it helps to bind ammonia into the litter vs releasing it as a gas. Barn lime can help to dry out damp areas. Hydrated lime will dry out wetter areas and deodorize, it raises the pH enough to kill the microbes that produce the enzymes that break down the manure producing ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.

I've heard a few folks here say that DE only works if you keep the litter dry and that it doesn't work the way it is supposed to when the litter is wet. No kidding... The key there is keeping the litter dry, not necessarily using DE.

So true! We have been struggling with keeping the run dry but the coop is nice & dry. Guess where all the flies are? In the run of course so we are making some major changes to get it under control.

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Thanks for your input my ACV is organic & I don't wish to waste it on flies! White vinegar I buy by the gallon so i'll be trying out this fly trap. Some have posted it didn't work but I am hopeful

Would old pickle juice work? We all have some of that left over from a jar of pickles.
May give it a try.

I have a big problem with flys as well. I use saw dust and wood shavings on the floor of the run and try to keep things mixed up. If there poop isn't wet the flies don't hang around it. I've heard DE works but don't have any. I have a fly strip in the run too but the "ceiling" of the run is too low and I'm afraid that the chickens will start to try and peck at it. I've tried the homemade fly traps, the ones where you fill up a 2 liter with water, sugar and vinegar but I haven't had any luck with that either.

I thought I had a fly problem.....Then it rained 4.5 inches across 3 days was cloudy for the better part of a week, then rained another 3 inches. That's when my backyard started looking like that scene from Amityville Horror with all the flies.

I put down DE - maybe a little difference? Maybe.
I put up fly tape - good start.
I tried the vanilla car scent thingy - did nothing.
I set out fly bags - now we're talking.

I had 3 fly bags out and they were good, but after a few days, one of them had maggots overflowing out of it so I had to throw it out. The other 2 are still filling up.

What worked even better was to put fly tape right by the bag. The tape was hanging right next to the string the bag was hanging on and extended beyond the bag's entrance. I had so many flies on the tape, I had to replace it in only a few hours. I had flies falling off the tape because it was so crowded and they only got a little sticky. There was a massive decrease in flies that lasted a few days.

We've had a lot of rain lately, so it's been a battle and another round of flies have come, but I feel a few rounds of this will keep things under control.

I also made one of those "no mess" feeders. The flies seem to like the soggy feed the chickens spill on the ground more than anything else.

Good luck to all with your fly battles! I will continue to read for more good ideas.

Don't know if this has already been said but flys HATE the smell of vanilla! buy a few vanilla car fresheners tie them in your coup and your good!

Food grade DE and we use heavy sand in the run. Rake it out every few months. And as PP stated, keep spilled food to a minimum.

While I don't have a big problem with flies in my coop, I do have quite a lot of them in my yard. I have two small dogs on the property, and 5 chickens in an 8 x 10" coop. Because I also own a horse (stabled off the property) I'm a big fan of www.smartpak.com. They have fly predators available for purchase in varying amounts. I used them last year with AMAZING success, and just re-ordered today as my flies are starting to get out of control again. A couple of recommendations: 1) I spent the $29.95 for the amount of fly predators recommended for 6 - 10 horses 2) I followed the directions EXACTLY when I used them last year.

I scattered the fly larvae all over my back yard, (About 6,000 SF) in the gardens, the lawn, the dog run, etc. I scattered the larvae late in the day, and left the chickens in the coop for two days afterwards, (didn't want them eating all my precious larvae). Results were noticeable within 2 weeks and lasted the rest of the summer. I just ordered the same amount again... and honestly if I noticed even a small increase during the summer would put another order in as necessary.