Top Ten Worming and Wormer Misinformations - Graphic Pictures!

[casportpony]

I should mention the poop is not fresh. I found these while cleaning the coop. Could be a little more than a week but not much more.

Definitely maggot.

-Kathy

 

[dawg53]

They are maggots.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Looks like a maggot. Chickens love to eat them. Free protein.

I was thinking the same thing while trying not to be sick

 

[h-kay]

Well that's great news! I can deal with that. Thank you!

 

[Michael Apple]

Well that's great news! I can deal with that. Thank you!

Before maggots are seen, it is a good idea to check vents for cleanliness. Accumulated fecal matter around vents can attract flies, then eggs are laid where maggots hatch, and can invade the vent or feed off infected tissue. It is a bad scene when that happens. Prozap Screw Worm aerosol is a quick remedy to affected birds. Keeping stools firm with good supplementation to diet, and trimming heavily feathered birds around the vent also helps prevent that problem.

 

[dawg53]

Trimming back fluff and feathers on the rear end virtually eliminates fly strike. Dont trim back too close though. Excretions drop straight down onto the soil. During hot temps, birds drink alot of water and you'll observe watery power squirts. It's a good idea to occasionally provide electrolytes in their water for a day or two to replace lost nutrients due to the watery diarrhea.
Removing feces from the pen/run 2 or 3 times a day will help cut down on flies. Ensure flexible screen is placed and secured over coop vents to keep out flies, mosquitos and other insects. Install screen at the entrance; vertically slice the screen so that chickens can pass freely through the screen at will.

 

[h-kay]

Great tips guys. Thank you. Already give electrolytes durning hot days. Adding screens now. I hadn't thought about putting screens over the door. Great idea! I have one girl with a very dirty bum. I'll soak her tonight and trim her up.
Thanks again! I also wanted to ask if anyone has litter suggestions which may deter flies?

 

[dawg53]

This occured awhile back: I had read that vanilla Christmas tree car deodorizers which are hung from the rear view mirror in a car deters flies in chicken pens/coops. I went and bought a pack at our local auto parts store and hung them around the coop. Sure enough they seemed to work well. You can give it a try if you wish.

 

[getaclue]

If you can find the big containers of dried Basil, sprinkle some all around in the coop, and run. I've used it for years for fly control, and it works very good. It leaves the coop smelling nice too, and won't hurt the chickens. I sprinkle some weekly during fly season. The vanilla air fresheners are for mosquitoes.

 

[enola]

Flies no more! I found the perfect fly repellent!

This is the name of a very interesting thread about fly control.