The run is loaded with flies

[Ccort]

It's probably worth a closer inspection of your run to make sure you don't have any water leaking or building up that's contributing to this.

How do you water the birds?
How is the drainage of the site?

I don't fill the water within the run and it's a nipple style waterer. No leakage. We had a big rain yesterday/last a couple days ago and I had the whole run covered with tarps which I'm thinking probably caused it to be too wet. Add I'm abormally low (for us) temps (60 last night) so it didn't dry up. At least it's my theory...
Only half is now covered with tarps, for shade, especially since Thursday will be very hot again..around 100.

 

[3KillerBs]

I could kick myself for not saving leaves. I'll have plenty in late fall!

Thoughts on using straw or cut grass? I'm thinking cut grass won't help but if you have experience, would like to hear it.

I let my lawn clippings dry a little before I use the lawnsweeper and throw stuff to the chickens. That makes them less likely to gorge on the cut grass.

Here's some thoughts I had on straw last summer.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/24690969

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Pine only!

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

I haven't read through the entire thread, but you could also get some bug loving guineas...

 

[rosemarythyme]

I could kick myself for not saving leaves. I'll have plenty in late fall!

Thoughts on using straw or cut grass? I'm thinking cut grass won't help but if you have experience, would like to hear it.

Definitely save leaves this fall if you have room for it.

Cut grass needs to dry out a bit, otherwise it's fine to use. I'm sure you've smelled freshly mowed grass that's been stuffed in a yard waste bin and left to sit in the sun - it's super stinky and slimy!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I get the Rescue disposable traps since they're easy to use (and no messing with the dead flies inside afterwards). As it gets hotter the flies show up, chickens or not, so I always keep a few on hand to help keep the numbers in check.

 

[Battlepants]

What about a mix of pine needles and mulch for now?

I'd probably do just the pine needles in that case. Any other organic material you can source from your property may help too.

My concern with mulch is that a lot of the commercial mulches tend to have a lot of chemicals added to them for coloring/preservation/whatever reason. You will really want natural wood products for the health of your birds.

Something else that might be worth your time to check out - many local parks will set up a free woodchip area that they grind up their felled trees and just let the local population take the woodchips. This would also be a good source of healthy wood for your birds.

 

[aart]

I'm in the city

Then you probably don't have space to store a big pile of tree trimming chips,
you don't want to pile up a bunch of them right off the chipper.

it's a nipple style waterer

Vertical or horizontal?

 

[knobhillfarm]

If you have some empty 2 litter bottles around, you can quickly put out several fly traps around the area to quickly knock down their numbers. Just cut the top third off the bottle, flip that upside down so it fits snuggly in the remainder of the bottle with the small opening facing down. Put about an inch of water in it with your choice of stinky bait (shrimp or lunch meat are good choices). The flies go in but can’t fly back out the small opening and drown. It starts off slow but builds momentum quickly.

 

[Ccort]

I let my lawn clippings dry a little before I use the lawnsweeper and throw stuff to the chickens. That makes them less likely to gorge on the cut grass.

Here's some thoughts I had on straw last summer.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/24690969

This was great