Abundance of flies - how do they affect chicken health if larvae is ingested

[Bawkbok]

So this may be a stupid question but I have to ask anyway. How does consuming fly larvae affect the health of chickens if ingested? Flies are in over abundance here and I do my best to keep the run and coop as clean as possible, constantly picking up poop and replenishing fresh feed every day and clean fresh water numerous times a day. The real issue is when I place extra food in the run, such as mash, salad greens, fruit - especially watermelon - it seems like all the flies from four counties around are on high alert and suddenly appear. They were so numerous today, the watermelon looked black for all the flies on it. If a fly lays eggs wherever they land, aren't the chickens eating the eggs now on the watermelon? I'm so disgusted with these flies and one would think with five fans running all the time, it would help reduce the population but it doesn't seem to deter the buggers.
I understand fly strike on open wounds and dirty vents, but I've not seen much here on their affect on food consumption.
We tried the fly traps last year, I won't use those again because the smell is horrific and it makes me nauseous. I don't know how to deter the flies. The potted herbs around the run are doing nothing to that end. It's unfortunate the chickens don't eat them as they would have full crops all the time!! Am I being silly or should I be concerned?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Oh honey, chickens have been eating flies and fly larvae since the first egg was laid. It's a natural part of their diet providing beneficial protein. Let them help keep the flies down, but yes, do your part as fly strike is a real issue on wounds and dirty vents.

LofMc

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Oh honey, chickens have been eating flies and fly larvae since the first egg was laid. It's a natural part of their diet providing beneficial protein. Let them help keep the flies down, but yes, do your part as fly strike is a real issue on wounds and dirty vents.

LofMc

Mine aren’t interested in flies, although they perform amazing acrobatics when trying to catch butterflies. (No luck with them.)

It’s frustrating, since they are providing the bait that lures in the flies!

 

[TOMTE]

Nothing to be concerned about, really. The only time ingested fly larvae is something to worry about is if they're in a specific type of environment for the botulism toxin to develop (low oxygen environments).

Fly larvae are a great source of protein and other nutrients. I wouldn't worry unless they start to show signs of illness.

 

[The Sniper]

the chicken pen is the only place I dont have flies

 

[dawg53]

You can hang vanilla scented car air fresheners in your pen. They seem to deter flies rather well. I've used the Christmas tree type before.

 

[DonyaQuick]

Other than the fly strike, one possible even if unlikely issue is that some parasitic worms that don’t have a direct chick-to-chicken transmission use flies as their intermediate host. So out of control flies feeding significantly on chicken manure and then being eaten by chickens regularly could potentially render deworming for those species rather ineffective until the flies are in check. I think that situation is pretty rare though.

 

[thecatumbrella]

You can hang vanilla scented car air fresheners in your pen. They seem to deter flies rather well. I've used the Christmas tree type before.

I do this. I can't tell if it's working or just in my head.

I'm fastidious with keeping the pen clean, and the flies are just everywhere this year. We have a couple of fly traps going, and yes, the smell will eventually become unbearable. I'm worried about it attracting predators. My husband doesn't seem to think a bear would be interested, but let's be real: animals love stinkies. Just think of a typical dog.

Anyway, trying to keep bums as clean as possible around here. Super hot summer days = super wet chicken poops, unfortunately.

 

[TOMTE]

I do this. I can't tell if it's working or just in my head.

I'm fastidious with keeping the pen clean, and the flies are just everywhere this year. We have a couple of fly traps going, and yes, the smell will eventually become unbearable. I'm worried about it attracting predators. My husband doesn't seem to think a bear would be interested, but let's be real: animals love stinkies. Just think of a typical dog.

Anyway, trying to keep bums as clean as possible around here. Super hot summer days = super wet chicken poops, unfortunately.

It's good to have some flies around. It attracts fly eaters like wasps and hornets and others. No flies = no predators = more flies later. I've seen lots of bald faced hornets around lately, hunting the buggers. Super cool to watch plus the rove beetles that eat the maggots and also the flies when they can catch them. Nature is so cool

 

[Bawkbok]

It's good to have some flies around. It attracts fly eaters like wasps and hornets and others.

This city keeps sending the dang mosquito control sprayers down the street every two weeks which kills off every living thing EXCEPT THE MOSQUITOES. I have not seen a bee or a wasp or anything else since they started spraying. Flies and mosquitoes. That's what we have. For my money they can stop the nonsense and pave the deteriorating road instead. They've denuded all the natural lots around here to build houses which no one is buying so all the bats are gone. We used to have several in our yard (have a bat house) to help with mosquito control. It worked wonders until the hotshot builders from out of state came down and started ripping trees out. Haven't seen a bat in over a year. It's all so maddening.