Flock raiser… causing maggots?!

I live in the hot, humid south as well. I only get maggots if wet crumbled food is allowed to stay in place. If you use a bowl instead of a feeder and let them clean it out between feedings problem solved. Btw, the maggots gross you out but are perfectly edible to the ducks. In fact, most of us buy them dead and dried as soldier worm larva or mealworms! I would not recommend spraying permethrin, google it with “mitochondria”. When my son was in 5th grade he developed chronic fatigue after our house was sprayed with it for bedbugs.
I thought they would eat them but they didn’t in the last coop and then bam, war of the flies around the coop a few days later. maybe the pekins just aren’t as good foragers but as babies they would go nuts when I tossed them a water bug.

I agree with you on the permethrin but until the ducks are old enough to forage full time during the day and we also have a perimeter fence I’m resigned to use it. Mosquitoes are one thing but we’ve recently seen an increase in the tick and biting midge population in the last week. We just bought the house from an older couple who just weren’t able to keep up with cleaning so we also have a large water bug population in the house and I’m just sick of the creepy crawlers everywhere! I found some alien bug I’ve never seen before in the house last night and couldn’t identify it. (I’ll attach a picture in case anyone get can solve that low grade mystery) Needless to say, permethrin will never be what I use to maintain a bug free yard but just keep populations under control until the birds are old enough to do their share. And I’ll probably dilute it double. I commonly have to use permethrin at work because we have a terrible tick problem there. I actually will likely end up brooding guineas and taking them there. If I wasn’t worried about neighbors at my house, I’d have a flock of 50 guineas running around and happily put up with the noise!
 
It’s pretty close, and hot and humid and wet here (Georgia). Even if I moved the waterer away, they still need the water to manage the crumbles and it’ll still be humid.. maybe switching to the FR pellets would help?
I keep my water and food pretty far apart, because here it will mold really quickly with any wetness. I make them walk a good bit between. They are just fine and it keeps my crumbles dry as a bone. They fill up their bills and waddle over to the water to wash it down. ALso keeps my water a little cleaner because they swallow most of it on the way over
 
I keep my water and food pretty far apart, because here it will mold really quickly with any wetness. I make them walk a good bit between. They are just fine and it keeps my crumbles dry as a bone. They fill up their bills and waddle over to the water to wash it down. ALso keeps my water a little cleaner because they swallow most of it on the way over
This is me too.
 
I will kiss your Cayuga.. anytime.:bow
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Thanks everyone for the replies, very helpful.
I’ve also been having a “dampness” problem with the chick grit… any solutions? I both mix into food, probably not the amount they need, and have it free choice but it gets very soggy. 🤯 didn’t know that was possible for rocks
 
For the grit I use rabbit feeders that have a mesh bottom.

I think any container you can drill several holes in the bottom will work.

For ducks I don't think they mind wet grit. Mine used to raid the bee water dishes just to play with the rocks.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies, very helpful.
I’ve also been having a “dampness” problem with the chick grit… any solutions? I both mix into food, probably not the amount they need, and have it free choice but it gets very soggy. 🤯 didn’t know that was possible for rocks
No need to mix the grit with the food. I don't even keep a dish out for grit normally. I just toss a handful out if and when I give them treats. Mine are confined to a run. If yours have access to ground they'll find their own grit.
For oyester shell I do the same as 21 hens with the rabbit feeder for the calls. For the Cayugas I repurposed an old bird feeder, similar to this one.
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I had a bag of Purina Flock Raiser Crumbles that shortly after opening turned to almost a dust like consistancy. I had hardly used any of it and was worried it was molding so I returned it to TSC which replaced it. The bag was kept inside my airconditioned house so I don't know why it did this. I told them I refused to take any chances with my Ducks by giving it to them and they had no problem switching it out. It was the only bag I ever had do this.
 

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