OMG HELP MAGGOTS!!!

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

It's really important to clean up wet spots in your coop, and to plug leaking holes. For a few reasons I can think of offhand:

1.) smell and ammonia seem to collect quickly in a damp coop

2.) diseases multiply quickly.

The maggots are just a sign you have a problem to address, and I wouldn't panic (although I agree, check your birds for wounds.. that would be bad).

My vote goes: move maggots on t-shirt outside, let chickens get to them and decide out THERE.

Clean up all the wet spots you find and put dry bedding down.

Personally, I disagree with a lot of people saying they NEED to be roosting on poles. My girls and I had a fight about it about 2 months ago.. every night I moved them OFF the nest boxes, ONTO the roosts.. finally I gave up. Some roost on the poles, some roost on the nestboxes. Lately it's been VERY cold, and some are cuddling together on the floor (deep litter, and I'm assuming provides some warmth by itself). I clean my nestboxes every few days (more if they are icky), and let the ladies decide.

Sounds like you love your birds if you are letting them borrow clothes out of your closet

Meghan

 

[Justino]

lol yup

so i should like put pastic over walls?would that help?

 

[noshoes]

Quote:
Actually there are some maggots that feed on living flesh, they are the only parasitic maggots.

Check "maggot" in wikipedia and follow the link.

Ah yes the bot fly I am not sure they are a problem in these United States. I will keep my eyes peeled for any reports of chicken being killed by bot fly Larvae. Here is how to extract them if you find them on your chickens (warning this is not for the squeemish)Bot Fly. Please video the process if they turn out to be bot fly Larvae

 

[ole-crone]

Justino-
By now, you know that having the wormy things - maggots - isn't desirable but happens. As the others have said, as long as the chickens are healthy they aren't anything to worry about. Follow the advice to remove the t-shirt and dry out the shed.

I know that the weather has been awful. I went outside today to find a mini lake in one of my runs. I can't get to the coop to shut up the girls tonight - hopefully it won't get too cold before Dh comes home and can wade out.

So.... as far as the coop - think like a chicken.

What kind of a coop do you have?
Does it have wire or wood walls?
If wood, are there holes in it?

If your coop has wire walls, cover the sides with plastic or tarps. Tie it down tight, the wind could rip loosely covered plastic off.

If your coop has wood walls, look around and look for areas that might cause some drafts. plug any big holes that might make it drafty. Think, temps aside, would I be comfortable in here?

Chickens can take low temps as long as their bedding is dry and no drafts are blowing through gaps in wood.

The floor - is your coop off the ground? Is the floor wire? If so, you probably can't put down shavings but you can get some plastic or tarps and enclose the exposed area so wind doesn't blow up and around.

If your coop is on the ground and has no floor - right on the dirt - check to see if water is draining into it from the rain runoff. If that is happening, you might consider making a make-shift coop elsewhere until you can get this one fixed up better.

Good luck and I'm sure your girls will love eating those maggots.

 

[cheeptrick]

Are you using Food Grade Diatemaceous Earth? That should rid you of your fly problem...I sprinkle mine on the floor of the coop before laying down the litter and also dust the roosts. Here in NH its too cold for flies though....so come mud season I'll be breaking out the DE again!!
Good luck and NO worries!

 

[JewellFarm]

They are smarter than you give them credit for. Let them decide if they want to eat or not.

 

[Shanay235]

I vote Yes, let them eat.

Last summer, I had a duck get a feather cyst (that wasn't in an easy place to see) which ruptured and got maggots in it. When I saw it I freaked and rushed him to the vet. As we were waiting at the vets office, I saw him eat some of the maggots.

Even though it's totally gross to us, it's perfectly normal for the chickens and ducks to eat. Even my vet said it wouldn't hurt the animal.

 

[b.hromada]

Quote:
How true a statement! I fed mealworms to my chickens this afternoon, and man, you'd of thought they were starving to death!

 

[chickenguysmom]

I think you are looking at this all wrong. Maybe the chickens brought maggots in to EAT the T-shirt because what they really wanted was a nice tuxedo so they could go out dancing. And what dance do you think they'll dance..... THE CHICKEN DANCE of course.

I agree with whoever said chickens are alot smarter than we give them credit for. I had a RIR that loved tobacco horned worms that eat tomato plants alive (gotta love that chicken). None of the rest will even try one. I have one that doesn't like worms and most won't eat slugs (YUK!). I have never had chickens that like fire ants but just got a few new chickies and the 2 week olds like ants.... lets hope that continues.... we could use the help here in AL.

My vote "let them eat maggots".

 

[barnwife]

Maggots are larvae tat can only eat decaying (dead) things. They secrete their digestive juices, and kinda "lick" up the syrupy matter left over. Their digestive juices are not able to hurt living flesh. Maggots are used by some doctors and backwoods survivalists to CLEAN wounds because they will not eat living flesh.

SO, they cannot cause the death of your chickens like that.


BITING flies DO carry diseases, same as mosquitoes, and can pass them to your entire flock. Maggots are the larval stage of flies. Chickens LOVE to eat them, too, as they are an EXCELLENT source of protein.


Survival schools teach maggots as one of the most perfect foods you can find in a death VS eat-the-grossest-thing-in-the-world kind of situation

SO, the only real harm they can do is gross you out and maybe become biting flies...which if they do not land on you and bite you, then most likely they are not biting your chickens, either.

Biting flies are about 4 times larger than normal houseflies. Their bites cannot go unnoticed since they are painful and can leave nasty holes that bleed on your skin.

I hope you found the answer to your question!