Shooing flies from your chickens' home does not work.
Keeping chickens in a backyard coop is beneficial, yet not without its shortcomings. Chickens require more maintenance than the average pet, and it can become a major nuisance when your otherwise clear property is infested with flies. What's more, this infestation isn't just annoying to people, it's also unhealthy for the chickens. Take the appropriate steps to prevent such a plague and reduce any amount of flies from the coop and run.
Instructions
Preventing Fly Infestations
1. Confirm that the coop is well built to prevent becoming a haven for flies. It should be well ventilated, the walls properly insulated and the entire coop lifted off the ground, even if only a couple of inches. The floor must be flat with no holes. Keeping the coop door shut at night will also discourage flies from entering.
2. Clean the chicken litter as often as necessary to prevent it from becoming too wet and moist, as these conditions create an optimum breeding ground for flies. If you replace the litter every month and it still appears very wet, you may need to clean it more often. Make sure the food and water are contained and the immediate area is kept as clean as possible.
3. Introduce your chickens to eating bugs early on. They naturally love to eat bugs and are able to eat them in all three stages -- adult, larval, and egg.
Reducing Fly Populations
4. Locate where any fly nests might be in the coop and run. Look in every nook and cranny of the nest boxes, perches and food areas. Check over the base of the run, especially if the grass has grown over the fencing.
5. Place sticky fly traps around the coop where the chickens will not interfere with them. Hanging traps act as a place for the flies to land mid-air. Sticky fly cards need to be placed where the chickens will not accidentally step on or bump into them. Though not recommended for a large-scale infestation, the Venus fly trap plant is a natural predator to the flies.
6. Feed the chickens an insect growth regulator mixed with their normal food. This will control any manure-breeding flies. Read all labels and instructions before purchasing or feeding it to your chickens.
Related posts
Sweet chicken is a house petThough many people would never have considered having a chicken as a house pet, there is a growing number who love their chickens and want to spend more time with them...
Help keep your chickens mite-free with a few simple steps.An important part of keeping a chicken flock healthy is to get rid of mites and lice. These parasites, which hide in your chickens' feathe...
Chickens can suffer from flea infestations.Fleas are small, blood-sucking parasites that will infest nearly every mammal on Earth. Some fleas also infest poultry. Fleas crawl onto the skin of thei...
Unlike mammals, chicks do not have exterior sex organs.As a farmer, you need to determine which baby chickens will produce eggs and which chickens will be used for meat. Telling the difference bet...
Chickens are resilient and can often easy recover from injuries with proper care.Chickens are resilient creatures and can recover remarkably well from significant injuries or illness. There are st...
