Anyone else dealing with fly strike this summer?

[Mutt Farm]

Amazingly, I've had few flies this summer, despite rain the entire month of May. We are hot and dry for the moment. Go figure.

I stopped buying fly predators because, like other folks, I couldn't justify spending $18+/month on them when all the properties surrounding ours are overstocked with cattle, sheep, goats, mini donks. Not to mention the native and exotic wildlife populations. A losing battle with the predators, in my situation.

What has helped so far are the disposable hanging fly traps that come with attractant. You add water and hang them in specific locations. The location is important since you do NOT want to hang them in or near your barn, chicken coop, etc. Wind direction, location, height for hanging the fly traps are all important, lest you end up attracting flies from elsewhere. Might not work in small, backyard situations, but I put them in strategic locations in the spring at the first sign of flies and they tend to knock out a large portion of the adult flies. They do smell horribly when filling with flies.

I've found the disposable traps at "Wally World" (garden dept) for way less expensive than at feed stores or TSC. Again, your mileage may vary...

X2. The fly traps do work really well and your placement advice is spot on. I tried not using them this year because I swore I was attracting by neighbors flies. Good to know about the predators. I won't bother.

 

[MasonJarJuls]

I feel so bad for you. Apple Valley Feed on Bear Valley rd near the High School usually has older pullets or hens or would know folks that have some. They are so nice there. My Pops knows their mom. He lived in Lucerne and raised birds for many years. Also try the ones in Lucerne Valley. They usually have some older hens. You could also check with them about stuff for fly strike. We'll wait for pictures of the new girls! 

Will definitely be checking the Apple Valley Feed Bin as well as Craig's List for anyone who has hens locally.

 

[Mutt Farm]

I am so sorry that you lost your girl. that is hard and fly strike is horrid, the worst stuff I have ever seen. I have so much more respect for veternarians I am sure they see
this stuff more than the want.

I would get a few more ladies for your only girl. Chickens are social animals and need others to be around. I would not get a roo because she would be way
over mates which can lead to injury.

Thanks for the advice. It is definitely nasty stuff and I see a lot of nasty stuff because I work in an ER. I was thinking about getting 2 more, maybe 3, but definitely no roo.

 

[MasonJarJuls]

Awesome. I will have to try them out.

 

[MaddiesChickens]

Wow poor birds but maggots are only supposed to eat dead dieing or necrotic flesh, thats why they used to use them in medicine to clean wounds they don't eat healthy tissue. Or they're not supposed to. Thank you for explaining. I hope I never see that and I hope your girls get better.

Actually the maggots used for medicine have been modified to only eat the dead flesh.
Regular maggots will eat flesh but only through a open wound. But they do eat dead flesh to.

 

[chickendreams24]

@MaddiesChickens
Wow didn't know that strange, I would have thought my mom would know that as she is a nurse. Thanks for setting me straight

 

[MasonJarJuls]

Actually the maggots used for medicine have been modified to only eat the dead flesh.
Regular maggots will eat flesh but only through a open wound. But they do eat dead flesh to.

They aren't modified, the are just monitored. They are only allowed to stay on the wound for a specific amount of time in a carefully controlled environment, before they are removed and replaced if need be. I have seen them work wonders on some gnarly infected wounds. Still makes me queasy though.

 

[MaddiesChickens]

They aren't modified, the are just monitored. They are only allowed to stay on the wound for a specific amount of time in a carefully controlled environment, before they are removed and replaced if need be. I have seen them work wonders on some gnarly infected wounds. Still makes me queasy though.

Oh... Thank you for telling me! I didn't know!!

 

[im4vt]

We just lost our first chicken ever and it was to fly strike. Crazy to think we've protected them from possums, raccoons, skunks, and hawks and a stupid fly gets one. We tried to clean her off and bathe her and get as many of the maggots as possible but it was too late. There was infection and prolapse and just too much damage. I feel bad because she was completely healthy otherwise and if we'd caught it sooner maybe we could have saved her. We're not even sure when it happened because she was fine Saturday. Just a terrible and disgusting thing and I can't imagine how painful it was for her. RIP Clover, the flock won't be the same without you.

 

[Mutt Farm]

We just lost our first chicken ever and it was to fly strike. Crazy to think we've protected them from possums, raccoons, skunks, and hawks and a stupid fly gets one. We tried to clean her off and bathe her and get as many of the maggots as possible but it was too late. There was infection and prolapse and just too much damage. I feel bad because she was completely healthy otherwise and if we'd caught it sooner maybe we could have saved her. We're not even sure when it happened because she was fine Saturday. Just a terrible and disgusting thing and I can't imagine how painful it was for her. RIP Clover, the flock won't be the same without you.

I am so terribly sorry that happened to you. As you can see from the threads, this has been a terrible year for fly strike. Usually once it's noticeable or you see a change in behavior it's pretty advanced. It happens VERY quickly. You did everything you could to save her. Please don't blame yourself.