Will I have flies?

[Ember13]

I used deep litter in the run during the New England winter. It worked really well. Now that it is warming up, I'm wondering if this approach is feasible for summer or whether the run will be overwhelmed with flies. I rake and turn it every day. So, my experience is limited only to cold weather and I'm clueless about what to expect in summer. If anyone has experience, tips or advice I would like to hear. Again, the deep litter is just in the run which is not covered. 5 hens, 12x4 feet.

 

[Mahlzeit]

You are not having an issue with the deep littler method with no roof and all this rain? I would imagine you are going to have some flies even the smallest piles of manure attract them.

 

[Ember13]

Not yet. It is fairly dry despite the rain--the litter is pine needles and about a foot deep. The hens churn it and I toss it. But also, we had snow as recently as two weeks ago so things have been fairly frozen. I just don't comprehend if deep litter in a run is an option in warm weather or climates.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

We use the DLM in our run and haven't had a problem with flies summer or winter. Our run is covered though and stays relatively dry. I think that's the great thing about the DLM, the poo is stirred in and drops down to the ground below the litter, not having it exposed keeps from attracting flies.

 

[RonP]

If you have flies, odors, or mud, your deep litter is not balanced.

Just add more carbons, such as wood chips, to offset the nitrates that are attracting flies, and creating odors.

 

[Ember13]

Thanks for the feedback. It worked so well over winter (no smell) so I'd like to try and continue but I had heard that some people only use DLM in runs during cooler weather.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Thanks for the feedback. It worked so well over winter (no smell) so I'd like to try and continue but I had heard that some people only use DLM in runs during cooler weather.

We do the DLM year 'round, with no issue. We live in Ohio and our temps range from 90+F in summer to single fidgets in winter.