Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Lacy Blues]

I just let the bugs in...this morning as I was spooning out the feed, I noticed a caterpillar had gotten in the night before. You should have seen the chase that ensued once it was discovered by the guineas. And, goodness they go nuts for those purple-black beetles. I don't have flies or other such critters in a mass around the fermenting feed, though - just the occasional curiosity kill that happens once in a while. Y'all are having issues with fruit flies/bugs?

My goodness YES! I have developed a strong hatred of the things. I think they first showed up when I started making my own vinegar. Every time I would open the cupboard I would get a swarm of fruit flies fly out! They hang around my ferment buckets and try to make homes for themselves amongst my grains I'm trying to grow into fodder. I have wondered if they could be responsible for the mold issues I'm fighting with?

I had a life-sized visual of the chase for the caterpillar! It was quite entertaining!

 

[Lacy Blues]

I think it was on this thread that we were talking about feeders for chicks and keeping them out of the food? This was older than the last day or two. I mentioned making a shelf and having the feeder on the wall partially covered and someone asked for a photo.

Well, my other computer with the pictures crashed and I am currently hatching and I remembered to take a picture for this person.



In the photo, you see my brooder box. It is a large cardboard box covered with shelf liner. This makes it so I can clean it out and then wipe it down with a disinfectant so I can reuse it. The "feeder" is a segment for drawer organizers sold pretty cheap at Walmart or the Dollar Store. I drilled holes in the back side and made hangars for it out of strong wire. I punch the ends of these through the cardboard to hang it on the wall. On top is a piece of plywood cut about 1.5" wide secured with rubber bands around the hangars. It was too high so I added a little step for them made out of plywood so they can reach into the feeder to eat. As they grow, I will remove the step and shortly after that they will be big enough to go outside where I will do something similar in their new home that will be up off the floor.



In this photo, you can see that they have a "shelf" that raises the food far above the floor and this keeps the shavings/droppings out of the food and the water.

 

[Demosthine]

I just let the bugs in...this morning as I was spooning out the feed, I noticed a caterpillar had gotten in the night before. You should have seen the chase that ensued once it was discovered by the guineas. And, goodness they go nuts for those purple-black beetles. I don't have flies or other such critters in a mass around the fermenting feed, though - just the occasional curiosity kill that happens once in a while. Y'all are having issues with fruit flies/bugs?

Oh my heavens, are we ever having a huge problem with the flies here in North Peoria. My kitchen was spotless and I still had them inside. They are swarming my backyard en-mass, too. Everyone I've talked to is having major issues this year, even if they don't keep chickens. The fertilizer we used in the garden and the chicken poop is attracting them more so than normal versus some of the others people, but you can only clean up so much of that. My coop and yard don't smell at all, but you can see the buggers all over.

Once my work on the new coop is finished today, I'm making a couple of fly traps to hopefully help get rid of them. A simple funnel and a glass mason jar with the ring should work wonders for it.

 

[Kilsharion]

Oh my heavens, are we ever having a huge problem with the flies here in North Peoria. My kitchen was spotless and I still had them inside. They are swarming my backyard en-mass, too. Everyone I've talked to is having major issues this year, even if they don't keep chickens. The fertilizer we used in the garden and the chicken poop is attracting them more so than normal versus some of the others people, but you can only clean up so much of that. My coop and yard don't smell at all, but you can see the buggers all over.

Once my work on the new coop is finished today, I'm making a couple of fly traps to hopefully help get rid of them. A simple funnel and a glass mason jar with the ring should work wonders for it.

The joys of bats. Not much to worry about where fruit flies and mosquitos are concerned. Add in the guineas and chickens....we don't have much in the way of insect issues around here...even less once the muscovy are full grown. I can't say how happy I am about that given where I've lived in the past.

 

[Lacy Blues]

You can get some "Golden Malrin" from your local feed store. Also, get a piece of burlap or something like that. If you have flies that badly, sprinkle some of the Malrin on the burlap and then mist it with the hose. You'll want to keep this somewhere shaded that your chickens, dogs, cats, children cannot get to it. It is poison and the flies love it. It works wonders.

I only have fruit flies right now. Next come the mosquitoes and then the flies.

I've read that a zip lock baggie filled half way (or so) with water and a penny dropped in and hung up (with some kind of strong clip) around your barn areas (or house) and for some reason, repels the flies. I'm going to try it this year.

 

[Demosthine]

You can get some "Golden Malrin" from your local feed store.  Also, get a piece of burlap or something like that.  If you have flies that badly, sprinkle some of the Malrin on the burlap and then mist it with the hose.  You'll want to keep this somewhere shaded that your chickens, dogs, cats, children cannot get to it.  It is poison and the flies love it.  It works wonders.

I only have fruit flies right now.  Next come the mosquitoes and then the flies.

I've read that a zip lock baggie filled half way (or so) with water and a penny dropped in and hung up (with some kind of strong clip) around your barn areas (or house) and for some reason, repels the flies.  I'm going to try it this year.

There's been a few tests done and that was pure wive's tale. Unfortunately, it didn't work at all for me. The only visual "study" I saw was on Mythbusters. It's not the most scientific source, but I thought they did a good job on that one.

Shaded without chickens having access? Hah! My entire yard is a chicken zone. I'll look in to it, though. Might be better than my fly traps.

 

[Lacy Blues]

There's been a few tests done and that was pure wive's tale. Unfortunately, it didn't work at all for me. The only visual "study" I saw was on Mythbusters. It's not the most scientific source, but I thought they did a good job on that one.

Shaded without chickens having access? Hah! My entire yard is a chicken zone. I'll look in to it, though. Might be better than my fly traps.

Are you talking about the ziplock baggie?

 

[Demosthine]

Are you talking about the ziplock baggie?

Yes, the bag with water in it. Sorry, I should have specified that better.

 

[Zootopia]

...

Zootopia - I use this for my brooders every time. I stir it up daily and then clean it out 1-2 times per week, depending on how many chicks there are and how bad it is. It's kind of like a deep litter for your brooder. It's basically a pine crumble. Then they get pine shavings when they go outside. Cool stuff, where do you get it, and who makes it?

I just let the bugs in...this morning as I was spooning out the feed, I noticed a caterpillar had gotten in the night before. You should have seen the chase that ensued once it was discovered by the guineas. And, goodness they go nuts for those purple-black beetles. I don't have flies or other such critters in a mass around the fermenting feed, though - just the occasional curiosity kill that happens once in a while. Y'all are having issues with fruit flies/bugs?

Love watching the chicken "Keep Away" games!! ROFLMAO

 

[farmer9989]

one word Muscovy's they eat fly's and mosquito's