California - Northern

[chiqita]

Grandma, sounds like a lovely start to your day!
We got a not to be missed soil opportunity yesterday ( free local topsoil) so we want over at 8 to put a SUV load in bags. Was too hot to do anything with it till this morning. Now it is all in pots waiting for more veggies. I will, get tomatoes to eat out of that garden this year no matter who or what I have to bribe, borrow or steal!!!!

I also have french Muscovy ducks on lockdown! One is tapping at the shell, nothing from the other 2 yet.

 

[OR4-hmom]

Someone up here swears by food grade DE added to his feed for fly control. He is rzising cornish X so they aren't around that long. He also puts it in the pig feed.

I asked my vet about it and she told me there wasn't conclusive evidance that it detered flies, said it wouldn't hurt them, but not to expect a cure-all. I haven't tried it.

I have Bald Faced Wasps here. They are extreme hunters, I wouldn't be surprised to find them cutting apart a hummingbird. They have chased me inside many times. Nasty buggers will guard the door for 30 minutes before moving on.

 

[SilkieRose]

Wow, OR4!! Crazy! I have DE, but I haven't used it for anything yet... kinda nervous about it. RON ? Does DE help?

 

[debs_flock]

Hello NorCal friends!!! How has everybody dealing with this heat?! UUGGHH I spent most of the day spritzing the chickens & quail with water yesterday. They loved it!

QUESTION: I know flies are inevitable when dealing with the lifestyle we do--cuz it's stinky lol... anyway! I was wondering how everybody keeps the flies down????
Do you use a spray? What kind?
Do you use straw for the coop/run floor or something else?

I know most of you have had/have this issue on a regular basis so please tell me!!! I have chickens and quail in the yard & between all of them, there are flies everywhere. I have tried sticky tape, nasty stinky fly traps- bags & containers. They work, but they don't deter.
I'm about to flip out on some flies & I can't kill them all!!

Tell me

Flies are the bane of my existence. I never got these ordered this year, but I have done this in the past and they do work.

http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/fly-control-program/100

 

[SilkieRose]

Flies are the bane of my existence. I never got these ordered this year, but I have done this in the past and they do work.

http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/fly-control-program/100

Wow! That looks scary, Deb!! lol.... So what are you doing about it now?

 

[OR4-hmom]

Wow, OR4!! Crazy! I have DE, but I haven't used it for anything yet... kinda nervous about it. RON ? Does DE help?

I have DE for nest boxes, gardening etc. but not the "Stone Flour" he uses in his feed. Health food stores not one of my usual stops. Keep saying I'm going to but haven't done it yet.

 

[ronott1]

Wow, OR4!! Crazy! I have DE, but I haven't used it for anything yet... kinda nervous about it. RON ? Does DE help?

DE needs to stay dry to work so it will not do anything inside the bird. If it dries out and can stop the larvae, then it may lower the flies.

Sprinkle DE in with the litter. DE is high in calcium so too much in the feed can be bad for them.

Note: it has to Food grade DE.

 

[8machines]

Take a hose and squirt down the ground in the shade. They will lay there. Mine love to hang out under the apple tree. I wet the ground and they are quite happy.

I haven't lost a bird yet to heat, but I do have some 4 1/2 year old hens - I'm sure the heat will be tough on them.

Yes, yesterday I made mud puddles all over their run, and put misters on until 7pm. I also have a fan near their laying boxes. Will do all this everyday until it cools down.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: I walk around and swat the ones that slip through the door with us, then vacuum up the carcasses.

Outside, I brush them away and curse at them.

I REALLY need to get back on my fly program.

 

[8machines]

Thank you ronott1, I will get some this week!