coop is a fly infested mess.

[Amiga]

Looking back, I would suggest you try some chopped straw in the bottom of the pen, and use a cultivator (a special kind of rake) or a regular rake to fluff the bedding daily. It's all an experiment - and please keep us posted.

 

[Sill]

Where I live we have heavy clay soil, terrible for drainage. I mixed a lot of sand into the run and coop and it helps keep the bedding much drier. I use what I have available, usually shavings, wood chips, leaves, dried grass clippings etc.

Ditto what @Amiga said about the fly predators! I was balking at using them because of the price but they are worth every penny! I just got my 5th shipment in the mail today, and I will release them in a couple of days. I've hardly seen any flies since I started using them. They are tiny parasitic wasps that are harmless to people and animals but not to flies. They are shipped live inside parasitized fly pupae and they emerge a few days after receiving them in the mail.



They are very tiny and look like ants with wings but they do an amazing job of keeping down the fly population.

 

[Vicki53813]

I ordered fly predator today and it ships out on Monday. I cant wait to get it and I know it will be a month or so to see a big difference in the fly population but I will try anything. Today I looked under the bedding I put down last night after bleaching the heck out of the whole coop and killing 100000 of magots Yuck.. I thought to myself if I see any magots this coop is gonna be on set on fire. Thank God there wasnt any magots but the bedding was a little wet because I had to put the bedding down. It was getting late and I didnt want the ducks exposed to the bleach.

So again I let the ducks out of the coop to roam so I can think about what I am going to do to dry this out. It was 100 degrees today and the sweat just poured out of me. I went in my garage and was looking for something to dry the bedding out. I see a big tarp so ok... I drag it out there and again start to shovel a very thick layer of wood shaving out in the hot sun to dry . after an hour or so and HOT HOT Hot.I get the mulch out in the sun spread out to dry. I scoop poop out of it as Im doing this and throw it away.

It didnt take long for the mulch to dry in the sun. but I still had the wet ground to deal with..I remember my husband throwing saw dust away from building the coop. so again go in the garage to see if the saw dust was in the garbage... bingo. so I take it out spread it around on the ground in the coop. I didnt quite have enough so my husband went to store to buy sand. I put a bag of sand down..As im doing this I realize not a **** fly was in the coop they went out on the wood shaving baking out in the sun. SOOO

I have a pure hate for flies. I grabbed an edge of the tarp folded it over and....... walked all over the tarp... hahahhaahahh. I did a dance. I could hear the flies trying to get out. ok it was way to hot to do that for long. but It was fun...

One last time I wonder how dry the ground is so I go and get a paper towel to walk on in the coop on the sand and saw dust.... it stayed dry so ok, i think im onto something. after bedding was dried I scooped it back into coop. I dont know how long this will last but I am gonna keep and eye on it and still remove water as needed..

 

[Vicki53813]

I received my fly predator shipment on Wednesday and put them out by the coop. I really doubt they work this fast or have even hatched yet but I went out to check on the ducks and let them out for awhile but I noticed the flies was all outside the coop just staying real still. Hardly any inside the coop like usual. It had rained a couple hours before but I dont think that would matter it was a little windy but nothing extreme so I wonder what the heck was going on. Since the flies was so slow moving, I took advantage of the fly swatter..... yep, mega kill..

 

[Amiga]

Wooo!

Whatever the reason, glad there has been a little improvement.