Okay here goes: 1) How do I rid my coop of flies? I've read on here about fly strips (which I'm not comfortable using because of a previous incident with duct tape and a chicken, don't worry, chicken is fine ) and vanilla air fresheners.. 2) How do I keep the heat off my girls? This ties in with question 3) I don't have the materials or the ability to add more ventilation to my coop, because I am a teenager and my father won't help me.. Any tips on how I might be able to ventilate their coop further? 4) How much DE should I use and when? DE is known to cause respiratory problems in both humans and chickens, even the food grade kind.. 5) Any tips on how to get my hens to not lay their eggs on the floor? I clean their nest boxes once a week, and most of them are two years old! That is it for now, although I'll probably think of more later on. Thank you!
2- Frequent water changing and frozen jugs of water laid about 5- Golf balls or ceramic/wooden eggs introduced into the box(es)
Make sure your Dad is watching, and go pick out a good saw and drill from his tool shed. Drag them out to the coop and start measuring some ventilation holes. See how long it takes for him to change his mind about helping you..... Just kidding - but maybe he would help in exchange for you doing something extra for him? Chickens are prone to respirtory problems, and really need ventilation. To keep mine cool, I have also been freezing water in plastic bottles and placing the whole bottle into a bowl of fresh water. It keeps the water nice an cold for a long time (longer than just a bowl with ice and water). Good luck.
