Managing chickens.smells,flies etc help

[Mysimplewyominglife]

I have been struggling this summer with flies and smells no matter how much I try I can't seem to keep it down it's been really hot here in the UK as well. and now today I had a neighbor (who I never had issues with and this same neighbor who said she rather hear my rooster crow then dogs bark) comes round and starts pounding on my door and starts bad mouthing me calling me a ahole blaming me for all the flies in her house and in the village says my "flithy dirty" chickens are annoying and I should not have them they are nothing but issues and cause all the issues in the area (and I'm standing at my door taken aback by her rude and completely unstable behavior) trying to explain that I'm doing my best to curb flies (unsually hot summer hello flies will happen any way on top) and that I was rehoming chickens and looking into new ways to reduce smell etc but all she did was stand there and treat me like garbage, cuss me out and flip me off I'm half wondering if she was fricken drunk! and recently I lost 2 young chickens who were fine and healthy the day before but found dead the next day wonder if someone might be poisoning them?

 

[50-45-1]

if your chickens do not have adequate room than Yes, you will have unhealthy chickens and environment for them to live in. it will lead to what you describe. Smell and fly's. Reduce your flock. Maybe move your coop and run to fresh ground and use the old spot for Garden next year.

 

[PirateGirl]

What is your bedding method for the run?

Is it typically wet or dry there?

Is there a safe product available you can use in the coop/run for flies?

Can you purchase fly traps/paper to use in your coop as well as give to and install for the neighbor? Perhaps if you go to the neighbor and are apologetic, show her that you purchased a fly repellent and offer to install some traps for her on her property it will help smooth things over. Ask her not to use any chemicals around your coop for the flies (you don't want something toxic to chickens) but tell her you are spraying the coop yourself and are afraid mixing chemicals could be dangerous for her (this will hopefully stop her from taking matters in her own hands).

Good luck!

 

[Mysimplewyominglife]

I have 3 houses my biggest is about 10x6 we are reducing our flock. right now there is dirt and pebbles in their run. sadly the new spot they are in has a large custom made 15x17 covered run. about 4 days ago it was dry but had loads of rain and it has brought more flies. I have ordered fly traps. she lives 3 house down and has been know to be unstable (and a drinker). anyone got some suggestions for use inside coops for flies?

 

[Henry672]

I have been using sweet PDZ. it is the consistency of sand or kitty litter. It's a natural product and can be mixed in with pine shavings or used like a cat litter. It cuts down on the smell which will hopefully attract less flies.

keep in mind your neighbor may have just been having a very bad day and like you said maybe drunk. It doesn't make it ok for her actions.

I like the previous suggestion about going and talking to her and seeing if you could put traps up on her property. Maybe you could offer her some eggs. I would try to be apologetic however if she is nasty than walk away.

Best of luck

 

[PirateGirl]

Also this sounds like it is not the sort of neighbor you want visiting you on your property. Perhaps you should offer her your phone number and ask that she please call if she has concerns. If you do not want her on your property, make sure you are clear about this as well. If there are escalated issues and the police need to be involved, this is something you can pave the way for now.

 

[Mysimplewyominglife]

PDZ? I also use sand in their coops forgot to add that they are cleaned out at lest once a week even 2-3 times if it's bad. only started losing older chicks recently and treated all with cococii treatment or how ever you spell it in their water just to be safe.

I have now refuse to talk to her I went outside to check my chickens and it was like she was waiting outside for me and started yelling abuse at me over her fence (there are 2 houses between us and her) and calling me a lazy b etc. Told her I would not treat her like that and I was shocked at how she felt it was ok to treat someone like that instead of acting like a adult and having a calm talk.

I told her I would have been more then happy to have done whatever possible to reduce her stress even rehoming my roo but she kept bad mouthing me and I finally told her not to talk to me or my husband not to come over to my house or come on to my property and told her to go through legal channels if she was that unhappy (believe she is the one that as been telling our council I have nothing but roosters when I don't) and I was not going to let her treat me like that specially when I would have not treated her in such a manner.

I told her if she kept being abusive and acting like that and came to our house and pound on our door I was going to call the cops and log a formal complaint!

 

[Art_plus_chickens]

PDZ? I also use sand in their coops forgot to add that they are cleaned out at lest once a week even 2-3 times if it's bad. only started losing older chicks recently and treated all with cococii treatment or how ever you spell it in their water just to be safe.

I have now refuse to talk to her I went outside to check my chickens and it was like she was waiting outside for me and started yelling abuse at me over her fence (there are 2 houses between us and her) and calling me a lazy b etc. Told her I would not treat her like that and I was shocked at how she felt it was ok to treat someone like that instead of acting like a adult and having a calm talk.

I told her I would have been more then happy to have done whatever possible to reduce her stress even rehoming my roo but she kept bad mouthing me and I finally told her not to talk to me or my husband not to come over to my house or come on to my property and told her to go through legal channels if she was that unhappy (believe she is the one that as been telling our council I have nothing but roosters when I don't) and I was not going to let her treat me like that specially when I would have not treated her in such a manner.

I told her if she kept being abusive and acting like that and came to our house and pound on our door I was going to call the cops and log a formal complaint!

Honestly I can't give you any advice in regards to nasty people, I'm the kind of person that doesn't put up with crap like that and I normally set them straight (I'm Italian )
But sorry you have a sh!ty neighbor.

I too am in a neighborhood, but so far no one has complained.
I also use sand with a good douncing of DE mixed in and didn't have a problem with a bunch of flies or bugs last summer, but we have gotten a couple of big downpours and my chickens have ran it down to mud again. It sould dry out soon as we are constantly in the high 90s but it'll take a bit as my runs are in the shade. I'm pregnant so smell has been a huge deal with me lately, but before I was pregnant I didn't have a problem with my runs smelling and they sound kinda smaller sized then yours. Wonder what the cause is? I've just recently had a fly problem start and have been told to use those traps. And since I have horses (boarded) I use the horses fly spray in my runs and around it. Haven't had a chance to respray since it rained though.
Inside my coops I use pine shavings but I use DE (i know Saturday night lime is safer) underneath and don't have any issues for flies or other bugs inside, so I wonder if DE in the runs would help for you as well? I know flies are super bad this year especially for my horses. Hang in there!

I have never heard of PDZ either.

 

[Mysimplewyominglife]

Honestly I can't give you any advice in regards to nasty people, I'm the kind of person that doesn't put up with crap like that and I normally set them straight (I'm Italian )
But sorry you have a sh!ty neighbor.

I too am in a neighborhood, but so far no one has complained.
I also use sand with a good douncing of DE mixed in and didn't have a problem with a bunch of flies or bugs last summer, but we have gotten a couple of big downpours and my chickens have ran it down to mud again. It sould dry out soon as we are constantly in the high 90s but it'll take a bit as my runs are in the shade. I'm pregnant so smell has been a huge deal with me lately, but before I was pregnant I didn't have a problem with my runs smelling and they sound kinda smaller sized then yours. Wonder what the cause is? I've just recently had a fly problem start and have been told to use those traps. And since I have horses (boarded) I use the horses fly spray in my runs and around it. Haven't had a chance to respray since it rained though.
Inside my coops I use pine shavings but I use DE (i know Saturday night lime is safer) underneath and don't have any issues for flies or other bugs inside, so I wonder if DE in the runs would help for you as well? I know flies are super bad this year especially for my horses. Hang in there!

I have never heard of PDZ either.

Since the crazy lady came complaining about smell and flies etc went outside and smelled around and looked round to see how bad the flies we'r. Ya it smelled but not as bad as she was ranting about as for flies there were not that many really so my husband said we will hang a large fly trap in the run and ask the person that lives in the place right next to us if we can put a trap there to see if the issue really is my chickens or if she is just freaking crazy. Also my roo is angerier the usual and has gone at me tonight blocked him with some bags a poked him with a stick to make him back off he has been going off like non stop crowing tho since she brought herself over with the stress of her and his antics I'm ready to throttle him just so she shuts up and he can't go at me again. Besides I have a new roo who loves being held and pet he even tries to cuddle ones legs if you not paying attention to him tripped over him earlier cuz of this. Maybe it was cuz I hand fed him

 

[Art_plus_chickens]

Since the crazy lady came complaining about smell and flies etc went outside and smelled around and looked round to see how bad the flies we'r. Ya it smelled but not as bad as she was ranting about as for flies there were not that many really so my husband said we will hang a large fly trap in the run and ask the person that lives in the place right next to us if we can put a trap there to see if the issue really is my chickens or if she is just freaking crazy. Also my roo is angerier the usual and has gone at me tonight blocked him with some bags a poked him with a stick to make him back off he has been going off like non stop crowing tho since she brought herself over with the stress of her and his antics I'm ready to throttle him just so she shuts up and he can't go at me again. Besides I have a new roo who loves being held and pet he even tries to cuddle ones legs if you not paying attention to him tripped over him earlier cuz of this. Maybe it was cuz I hand fed him

Sounds like she just has a major screw loose!
I'd try the fly traps too! They work out by my horse pens...but they do stink!

I'm on the fence about Roos since I had an Americana Bantam basically kill my best Bantam Cochin hen. I'm trying to give my silkie rooster a chance and so far he's very sweet with his 3 ladies, but boy is he loud even with a collar! Right now he's in time out inside the garage. Haha
I say if they're aggressive in any way, then soup pot they go even if they're too friggin gorgeous! But that's just me and that's how it is with any animal here, if they can't be nice to people or their other critter friends then they can't stay here. But like you said your guy could just be being a jerk because of the activity going on, so he might settle down.