Preventing flystrike

[Bejep714]

I heard that fly strike could be very bad for our chickens so I was wondering a few things. Two out of our 10 chickens have dirty butts, and I worry that that could be a problem as we enter the later months of spring. We have fly's around all the time now. Our run is all dirt and our hens dust bath around the clock, but I feel that that isn't enough. I have tried to clean them before but one bites and twists, and I accidently pulled feathers, and the other is even worse. What should I do?

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

If your birds have constant juicy poops, that's a whole other ball game and should be investigated, starting with diet.

What is it with you and calling poop juicy?!! That is a food adjective, dagnabbit!

 

[Eggcessive]

You can try treating the flies around the coop. Permethrin spray is very good and lasts about 30 days. Some use screenwire strips over their doors to keep flies out. I would pull off any solid poop, and trim excess fluff near the vent. You can occasionally take a bucket of warm and soapy water and give a quick wash just to the vent area. Look for any lice and mites on the skin under the vent as well.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Also some prevention around the coop would help as well.
Keeping the coop clean, I put down poultry dust (in coop and on chickens), and I hang vanilla scented air fresheners repeatedly.
The tree ones... crazy. The flies hate them. So weird.

 

[Bejep714]

We are going to let her back in the coop today so maybe she can lay in her box. She has her own nesting box and won't lay anywhere else, so we are going to see if that is the problem. If not than we will bathe her again. She is acting almost completely normal, eating, drinking, pooping, and her crop is going down overnight.

 

[cooingdove]

hi,
I'm curius about that to. it is such a freaky disease and would hate to see one of my hens socume to it. @aart @Eggcessive @BirdsBeesTrees

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I heard that fly strike could be very bad for our chickens so I was wondering a few things. Two out of our 10 chickens have dirty butts, and I worry that that could be a problem as we enter the later months of spring. We have fly's around all the time now. Our run is all dirt and our hens dust bath around the clock, but I feel that that isn't enough. I have tried to clean them before but one bites and twists, and I accidently pulled feathers, and the other is even worse. What should I do?

I have a couple chickens with dirty butts, like you say. I'm going to try to worm them.
@Eggcessive @casportpony

 

[Bejep714]

Would fly tape hanging inside the chicken coop work well too?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Would fly tape hanging inside the chicken coop work well too?

As long as the chickens don't fly into it because then it will be a nightmare.

 

[aart]

She is just standing huddles with her eyes closed right now.

We felt her crop, and it is smaller and hard, is that normal

Sounds sick.....just like the loose poops indicate something not quite right?
What all and how exactly are you feeding?
Juicy foods can make for loosey poops.


When I have a bird that is acting 'off', this is what I do:
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.

Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling. Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.