Serious fly issue!!!

[silkielover88]

With all the heat and muggy temps. My barn has become a haven for nasty flies! We can fill 3 of the sticky fly traps in just a couple days. I've been keeping it super clean and they just keep coming! Worst lately , I have a rooster in quarantine Bc he's sick. For the past two days I've had to pick fly eggs and maggots off of him! Any safe ideas for a fly spray to put on him? Or any other ideas?

 

[jpalmatier83]

Some of the bucket traps with attractants can hold WAY more flies than a glue trap. Also, my understanding is that if you pour them out and give them a couple days to 'air out' and let the attractant evaporate, you can then feed them to the chickens.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/starbar-captivator-fly-trap

 

[Folly's place]

Your rooster needs to be in his cage INDOORS, away from any flies. He will die if the maggots take over, and it only takes 48 hours for them to be eating him alive. He's also attracting those flies, not good. Fly traps away from the barn help, and some spraying if needed. Permethrin spray or dust work pretty well, and are fine around poultry. Don't feed rotting flies to your birds! Mary

 

[silkielover88]

The problem with keeping him indoors, Is that by boyfriend is on dialyses, so he can't be around any of that. My rooster isn't attracting them, so to say..he's just weak and can't groom himself. So I have to do it for him. I've had him a week and it's been just one thing after another.

 

[silkielover88]

He was actually grooming himself tonight. So that's a plus.

 

[jpalmatier83]

Yay!! Any idea why he was sick? In any case, glad he's on the mend.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Put a "fly fruit strip" in the barn. It is a roll of fruit that attracts flies, they land on it, but it's super sticky and they stay there and die. I would put several in the barn and replace them day to day.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Or you can get a fly zapper--basically a lantern (since they are drawn to light at night) they go to it and get zapped.

 

[Mini Meat]

With all the heat and muggy temps. My barn has become a haven for nasty flies! We can fill 3 of the sticky fly traps in just a couple days. I've been keeping it super clean and they just keep coming! Worst lately , I have a rooster in quarantine Bc he's sick. For the past two days I've had to pick fly eggs and maggots off of him! Any safe ideas for a fly spray to put on him? Or any other ideas?

If your flies are that bad you may need to take a look at your management practices.

What bedding/cleaning system are you using?
Do you have other animals?
I see you clean but what do you do with the manure?

But really.. the only true cure for bad fly problem is improved manure management.

Since I started using deep litter my flies have dropped dramatically.

 

[silkielover88]

Yay!! Any idea why he was sick? In any case, glad he's on the mend.

Not sure really. I bought him at auction and he was kinda droopy. He had a respirator infection. And I noticed inside his cage ( I had him quarantined) his poop was bright green! Luckily a friend of mine had some tylan and he's been improving. He's eating and more alert. No creepy crawlers lately