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Talk to me about chicken Poop and flies!

How do you keep it from attracting to many flies?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ginny Hopper on May 31, 2012 at 6:46pm

Like most things that attract insects and critters, it's best to compost it first or bury it under soil. Don't be surprised if you get maggots, fly larva hatch out. If that happens the birds will swoop in and clean them out, just stay out of their way and let them at them.

Permalink Reply by Janis Ahern on July 4, 2012 at 11:28am

I talked to Shannon Ford who suggested the following:

Flys are a nuisance on occasion, but adding DE (diatimatious earth) to the litter and laying fresh straw helps.
Eggs flat on one side? The shell? If the nest doesn't have litter/straw to cushion the egg, the egg will flatten as it lays on a hard surface...Eggs are warm and pliable at first, especially with young layers.

Hope this helps. I'm just getting started on the Wonderful "Homegrown" site

Permalink Reply by Victoria Ritterbush on August 2, 2012 at 11:42am

We try to add fresh dry grass clippings to the coop every time we mow, and daily to the nests. I keep some in piles under shelter or plastic for winter use. It controls flies and makes the whole coop smell fresh and grassy. We only rake it out when we're ready to use it in the garden, about once or twice a year. By then it has an eco-system all its own that has decomposed the droppings, and the chickens have scored a few free meals while turning it for us. As long as there is adequate fresh material it won't cake, clump or stick to the floor. I like to keep it from 3" to 12" thick.

Permalink Reply by Lizz on August 2, 2012 at 2:34pm

Thanks:) I also found fly bags to be very helpful! but what do you do with a million dead flies?lol

Permalink Reply by GrowYourBrew.com on August 6, 2012 at 3:13pm

You can feed the flies back to the chickens!

Permalink Reply by Lizz on August 7, 2012 at 12:27pm

the dead ones in the bag?

GrowYourBrew.com said:

You can feed the flies back to the chickens!

Permalink Reply by GrowYourBrew.com on August 7, 2012 at 12:38pm

As long as there's no poison involved (I'm not sure how fly bags work), the chickens will eat flies. Try a few and see what happens!

Permalink Reply by Carol Hansen on October 20, 2012 at 3:35pm

Lizz, The bedding I just love are stable wood pellets, they are compact in the bag then you add water and let dry they expand about 600%. I then out this down in the bottom of my coop with food grade Diatomaceous Earth. Between the two my floor is always dry, I stir this up once a day and the poo.. dries up too, even in winter, this means I do no thave flies in my coop. If you have closed boxie this makes good bedding too. Food grade Diatomaceous Earth mix in this their feed will keep them wormed, and great to make a dust bath with it, in the dry weather I just put a scopp in their favrite wallows. Food grade Diatomaceous Earth can be used for so many thing, dusting chicken keep mites at bay, and on your vegatables and flowers, thought it dose leave a white power on flowers.

I have a flock of Nankin Bantams, Rooss are less then two pounds, we just love them! Hope this was helpful, they are my babies.

Rodney & Carol Carol's Cell 541 514-7693
Conservators' Nankin Bantam Fowl

Hobby Farm: Chicks in Roseburg, Oregon

Ancient breed of Oldest known Bantams