Flies issue

[Annaafranqueza]

Just made our very first coop! Having issues with flies already. Any suggestions on how to keep a handle on them and the smell inside the coop?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

There are fly jars, and fly strips. Keeping the coop free of manure will cut down on flies.

 

[aart]

Keeping the coop free of manure will cut down on flies.

Yeppers.

No problems with flies here.

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

 

[blackdog043]

I keep mine about the same as @aart and no fly problems. I do have a couple fly papers hanging to get the few that might come by.

If you use liquid fly traps, put them away from the coop, because they draw flies as well as trap them and they smell real bad. Poop boards help a lot, to keep the coop cleaner. You could try sprinkling some PDZ in with the bedding, that might help some, but if your using roost boards only, a lot of poop builds up quick under them. Some people have used poop hammocks under their roosts to collect poop instead of it dropping on the floor.

What kind of bedding are you using and how deep is it.