Dealing with flies and poultry?

[BlueHorse17]

Just wondering what everyone does to help prevent/maintain flies in their coops/runs? I have chickens, quail and ducks and this year has been the worst for the little buggers in the past three years. I have disposable fly traps up in each of the coops, along with vanilla-scented car scents. (I heard flies don't like vanilla. Regardless, it helps with the fly trap smell.) The local dragonflies have also been helping me take care of the pests. Not that it will happen, but I am worried about fly strike.

 

[HaappyHenhouse]

Those traps can be brutal on a hot summer day!! I've got a similar mix of vanilla and "dead smell" traps. Looking forward to hearing more solutions.

 

[BlueBaby]

I need to watch this thread to see what other's have to say. I know that there is bag's of what they call Fly Predator's that hatch out and then prey on the flies, but they want you to buy another batch of them every month to keep them going. I had the flies almost all the way gone, until I had to start running the mister's for my flock, and then the monsoon started. Now they are back even worse then they were before.

 

[BlueHorse17]

Those traps can be brutal on a hot summer day!! I've got a similar mix of vanilla and "dead smell" traps. Looking forward to hearing more solutions.

I'm honestly wondering if the traps are luring more in. Regardless they are still getting caught but with this heat I swear they fill up within the week!

 

[BlueHorse17]

I need to watch this thread to see what other's have to say. I know that there is bag's of what they call Fly Predator's that hatch out and then prey on the flies, but they want you to buy another batch of them every month to keep them going. I had the flies almost all the way gone, until I had to start running the mister's for my flock, and then the monsoon started. Now they are back even worse then they were before.

I have some junipers in the ground in my quail run and right after I water them and the ground is wet that is when the flies like to come and say hello.

 

[BlueBaby]

I have some junipers in the ground in my quail run and right after I water them and the ground is wet that is when the flies like to come and say hello.

Yes, they sure do like all of that moisture. Just have to figure out the best way to get rid of them without endangering the flock.

 

[Boise-girls]

I'm honestly wondering if the traps are luring more in. Regardless they are still getting caught but with this heat I swear they fill up within the week!

I was using traps for a few weeks, and the flies kept getting worse and worse. Plus, the stench! Someone on BYC posted that she thought the traps made things worse. I took mine down, and the big flies went away almost immediately! I still have a few small flies, but not a bothersome amount. I do keep the big stinky poops picked up in their larger run and coop, and encourage the girls to turn their litter in their pen.

 

[BlueHorse17]

I was using traps for a few weeks, and the flies kept getting worse and worse. Plus, the stench! Someone on BYC posted that she thought the traps made things worse. I took mine down, and the big flies went away almost immediately! I still have a few small flies, but not a bothersome amount. I do keep the big stinky poops picked up in their larger run and coop, and encourage the girls to turn their litter in their pen.

That’s what I’m wondering. It might be better without the traps. Regardless though at least they are still keeping off my birds. The coop is fine because it’s shaded and the flies don’t seem to like it as much. It’s mainly their runs.

 

[Kims-Little-Zoo]

The fly traps your using attract flies to them so you don’t want to hang them in the coop you want to hang them away from the coops to attract flies away from the chickens. I use those and also use the fly exterminators that hatch along with praying mantis that I hatched they keep most of the bugs away from my chickens only issue I have is the chickens like to eat my preying mantis.

 

[BlueHorse17]

The fly traps your using attract flies to them so you don’t want to hang them in the coop you want to hang them away from the coops to attract flies away from the chickens. I use those and also use the fly exterminators that hatch along with praying mantis that I hatched they keep most of the bugs away from my chickens only issue I have is the chickens like to eat my preying mantis.

Oh my gosh you are so smart! Haha! Didn’t think of hanging them “away” from the coops. . How far away do you hang them? I figure they cover a certain radius, probably.