Chicken tractor and flies

[Etorb1]

This is my first time with Cornish X. We have 15 birds in an 8x8 chicken tractor that gets moved to new ground daily. The old ground is covered in poo and attracting so many flies. What would be the best way to get rid of the flies. I hung one of those fly traps you add water to, and it was full in 1 day! Could you spread DE on the old ground? Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[cavemanrich]

Most certainly know what is going on with those flies. Trapping is your best option. The fly bait trap you used got filled in one day. That may sound like $6 down the drain,,,,,,,,, BUT THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS. You can reuse part of it to make you own home made traps. You can also reuse the liquid and use as bait in trap after you empty it. That is what I do.
I pour off liquid,, (yes it is smelly) into a disposable container. Empty the rest of the dead flies into sewer drain. Return liquid into bottle, and add whatever water to create flies drowning.
You can purchase bait only, and also some one way trap tops, to install on one gallon plastic bottles. Those are available at most Farm, and Feed Stores. I like using apple juice bottles because they are clear. Flies see other flies inside, and cant wait to get inside.
DE will not do much to control flies. It is more effective on crawling insects that may be inside your coop litter bedding.
Here are some pix of what I use.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and

 

[Etorb1]

Thanks for the info. I will give it a try. I am also thinking of letting the chickens out of the tractor during the day when I am home to spread out the mess so maybe that will result in less flies as well. I'm glad I only have about 3 weeks left! I don't have a sewer drain near me. What other way would you dispose of the flies? dig a hole?

 

[cavemanrich]

Digging a shallow hole is easy and fine. You just don't want another source of fly-attractant laying open.
In 3 weeks when chickens are harvested, hopefully the seasonal rains will wash the gumdrops into the soil.
Raising broilers is the reason peeps do it in a tractor. Can you imagine having that crowd in your coop