Maggots & Flies

[newb1rdmom]

I don’t know if this is the right section to post this but I hope it is..

I’m not sure how much of a threat flies or maggots pose to guinea fowl or chickens but ever since I placed my guineas outside in their pen flies have swarmed and swarmed. A few weeks ago I noticed maggots in the mud/dirt — it had been rainy and also there had been a lot of water run off from the chicken water & their water dish had busted and soaked the ground — the area had dried up and it seemed they were gone so I placed their food dish back under their little building.

Well, I lifted up their food dish to clean it one day and tons of maggots had been hiding underneath it. Not to mention all the flies that swarm inside the dish when there’s food left over/food dust. I was immediately grossed out and disgusted and opt to not place their food there anymore.

I’ve been just sprinkling their food on the ground in the area that’s the driest and they’re commonly in. They absolutely refuse to go underneath their house —not that i blame them— but with it being rainy I need somewhere I can put their food so it doesn’t get wet or damp.

I have no clue how deep they go in the dirt so I’m not sure if I could even dig them up. I dusted some type of dusty earth mixture on the ground —I’m not sure what the actual name of it is but it’s supposed to help w bugs and mites or something?— and they didn’t seem to like that at all and started busting out of the ground —disgusting — but I want them gone permanently..

I don’t think the guineas are even eating them & the flies are starting to swarm in small groups in the chicken pen and it would be extremely unpleasant if the ground in there became infested with maggots as well..

 

[chickenlittle21]

Feed the maggots to your chickens. I keep black soldier fly maggots in a compost pile and my chickens love to eat them.

 

[50-45-1]

Is this a coop you can move to new dirt?
Move the coop, roto till the spot and expose it to the sun. That would put a stop to it i would think.
You have to somehow break the cycle if possible.
Not sure what type of flys we are talking about here.
Very odd that the poultry will not eat them. Maybe they bite or sting.
Also how old are your birds? Real young birds may not be at the point to eat them yet.
Good luck!

 

[newb1rdmom]

Is this a coop you can move to new dirt?
Move the coop, roto till the spot and expose it to the sun. That would put a stop to it i would think.
You have to somehow break the cycle if possible.
Not sure what type of flys we are talking about here.
Very odd that the poultry will not eat them. Maybe they bite or sting.
Also how old are your birds? Real young birds may not be at the point to eat them yet.
Good luck!

Unfortunately the coop is built into the ground so it would be impossible to move,,

I'm not sure what type of flies they are either. Most of them are just normal house flies but I've seen a few larger flies that might be horse flies? I'm not sure. I know if they are horse flies they do bite but I don't know that's exactly what they are but they are a bit large for a fly..

The guineas are probably about 3 months old now? They're to the age they're starting to get their little helmet things on their heads.. so if that helps age them. -- I'm not really sure why they're not eating the bugs either because I feed them the dried mealworms and larvae and such and they love it? But I guess it might be because there's just so many?

I had put out some of that diatomaceous earth (i think) and it seems to have killed at least some of the maggots. I'm not quite sure how many but it did seem to dry the area a bit but some of the ground still gets wet when filling their water dish so they could have just moved. I've thought of moving their dish but the only other place I could put it is directly under the board they rest on at night,, so I don't think that will work....

 

[50-45-1]

So the problem seems to be moisture buildup.
Best to figure out if there is a way for the area to drain better. Install some gravel? Dig some drainage trenches.
Also your waterer, is I hangeable? If you could hang it, it would eliminate things hiding under it. Also you could adjust the height so the guineas waste less? Make sure it is not leaking.
How many critters in the pen and how big is it. Crowding can make it worse.
I agree that the age of the guineas and the volume of flys are probably why they are not eating them.