Need some help, please

[cbreezy]

Hello! Thanks for letting me join! I'm looking for help for my neighbor who has chickens. His coop is so smelly and has caused our yard to be infested with flies. I'd like to help him solve the issue in a neighborly way. Any advice? thanks in advance.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello! Thanks for letting me join! I'm looking for help for my neighbor who has chickens. His coop is so smelly and has caused our yard to be infested with flies. I'd like to help him solve the issue in a neighborly way. Any advice? thanks in advance.

Have him join BYC!
The coop needs to be designed for easy removal of waste, extremely well ventilated, DRY and not over populated. Is it the coop, the run or both that are the problem?

 

[cbreezy]

It's both. I've tried the neighborly approach, but it hasn't helped. According to some of my friends who own a farm, my neighbor is lax about cleaning the coop and run. I've tried for years to get him to take care of this. Our next call is to code enforcement, since the coop is not the required distance from our property line.

 

[Sally PB]

It's both. I've tried the neighborly approach, but it hasn't helped.

Our next call is to code enforcement, since the coop is not the required distance from our property line.

Doing that may ruin whatever relationship you have with this neighbor. But for the chickens' sake, I hope you do.

Have you told this person you have flies because of the chickens? How does he respond? If he doesn't seem to care, that says a lot about how he feels about the situation. If he seems like he's just ... out of his depth? clueless? maybe you can help him fix the problem.

These sorts of situations are hard to deal with, I know.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Has this been a constant issue even when you haven't had rain or has it rained a lot making things worse?

 

[aart]

I've tried the neighborly approach, but it hasn't helped. I've tried for years to get him to take care of this.

Why do you think giving him advice now will help?

 

[addctd2plnts]

Flies breed in moist areas. It doesn't have to be an animal cause and proving it is next to impossible. I personally wouldn't cross that bridge of destroying neighbor friendships. We had neighbors do that and it caused a 27 year, so far, horrific dispute. Including a $60,000 lawsuit they filed against us and lost. In fact the Judge yelled at their attorney and them about being such jerks. If you want to improve the fly situation, get rid of shady moist areas IN YOUR YARD, ground cover, & leaves. Then hang these traps as far away from your house as you can get: https://www.amazon.com/STERLING-INT...ywords=rescue+fly+traps&qid=1620349208&sr=8-3

DO NOT HANG THEM MORE THAN 3 ft ABOVE GROUND! Flies stay low to the ground!

You need to hang them far away from where you will be because:

1. They smell like a dead body

2. They draw a ton of flies to them.

Replace every few weeks and you'll see a big difference. In addition, you can do constructive fly killing by releasing fly predators wherever he has chicken or animal manure.

I wouldn't make him angry. Be very careful in this war, because if you have dogs/cats or anything YOU love, and you attack what is his hobby, you may suffer far more than he does. Neighbors have killed each other over things like this. It's not always the biggest bully who wins. Everyone knows a bully for what they are and you'll lose in the long run.

 

[littledog]

Go to Valley Vet Supply and do a search for Fly Predators. We use them at my horse barn every year, and they do a great job of keeping the flies to a minimum.

 

[Sally PB]

I personally wouldn't cross that bridge of destroying neighbor friendships. We had neighbors do that and it caused a 27 year, so far, horrific dispute. Including a $60,000 lawsuit they filed against us and lost. In fact the Judge yelled at their attorney and them about being such jerks.

Good advice. Ruining neighbor relations affects you where you live.