Fly trap dumped in coop

[doublecrossranch]

What are you using for bedding in the run?

I use deep litter. Wood chips, leaves, yard and garden waste. The poop gets mixed in, breaks down and doesn't draw flies. I use a poop board in the coop, which helps control flies in there also.

Nothing in the run. Deep litter with wood chips. I turn it every few days.

 

[doublecrossranch]

I am adding a poop board this week.

 

[aart]

Nothing in the run.

Nothing?! Bare dirt with poop and flies?

Deep litter with wood chips.

This is in the coop?
Wood chips or pine shavings...and anything else in the mix?

I am adding a poop board this week.

That will help a lot, especially if you clean it daily and use some Sweet PDZ.

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[doublecrossranch]

Nothing?! Bare dirt with poop and flies?

This is in the coop?
Wood chips or pine shavings...and anything else in the mix?

That will help a lot, especially if you clean it daily and use some Sweet PDZ.

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!
View attachment 1904823

Dirt, grad, weeds, grass clippings, and garden plants. I don’t have flies in the run just in the coop.

In the coop there are pine shavings. But I’m realizing I started with too much. Luckily it’s time to clean it out for fall so I can start over fresh and the correct way.
Poop boards, sweet PDZ, only 4-6” of mini flakes, and a bottom board in front of my boxes. Along insulation and interior walls.

I was not happy with the guys that built my coop. If I asked for something we originally agreed on they were jerks. But that’s another post. Lol

 

[doublecrossranch]

I’m so glad I found BYC! It has helped me so much more than all the books I’ve bought.

 

[aart]

I was not happy with the guys that built my coop. If I asked for something we originally agreed on they were jerks. But that’s another post. Lol

Please do start another thread about your coop, we can help you get ready for winter.... add your location please.

Poop boards, sweet PDZ, only 4-6” of mini flakes, and a bottom board in front of my boxes. Along insulation and interior walls.

Insulation is rarely needed and mostly provides great places for rodents to live. Ventilation is key tho, lots of it.

With poop boards you may not even need 4-6" of shavings on floor, I start with just a couple inches that might get to 4" by annual change out time.

Form my notes:
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.

 

[doublecrossranch]

I will get better pictures today and post a new thread.

 

[slordaz]

don't attract em inside the coop put it outside. If ya need something in the coop after you move that outside use a fly ribbon in there

 

[Ridgerunner]

Dirt, grad, weeds, grass clippings, and garden plants. I don’t have flies in the run just in the coop.

In the coop there are pine shavings. But I’m realizing I started with too much. Luckily it’s time to clean it out for fall so I can start over fresh and the correct way.

Too much is not likely to be the issue. It sounds like the coop might be wet. Wet in some form is usually the issue. If it is wet, why is it wet? When I built my coop on the ground I hauled in extra dirt to raise the floor level a few inches above the surrounding ground. That keeps water out and the coop floor dry but water can come in different ways.

What it even more sounds like is that the poop is building up so thick that it doesn't dry out. When I dump the pure poop from my droppings board onto the compost, it can draw flies if it gets a bit wet or I don't mix it in. Your coop doesn't have to be wet, just the poop so thick it doesn't dry out. That's usually worse under the roosts so a droppings board could make a world of difference. Raking it in with your bedding or scattering some scratch under your roosts so the chickens scatter it for you can also help.

If you do start a new thread put a link in this one so we can find it.

 

[MIchickenlady]

My fly trap bags werent doing anything to draw or kill flies until we got a humid warm snap of weather that started yesterday through tomorrow. I see flies buzzing around that trap now, but i can also smell that darn thing from the house. gag.