Fly Control in the Chicken Yard

Raising chickens is a rewarding venture, but keeping them healthy can be challenging, especially when it comes to managing flies in their yard. While flies might seem harmless at first glance, they can lead to serious health issues, lower egg production and increased stress among your birds. Did you know that just one fly can lay up to 500 eggs in a single batch?

Understanding the Enemy: Why Flies Thrive in the Chicken Yard

Flies are drawn to smells of chicken waste, feed and decomposing organic matter. These elements are abundant in chicken coops and runs, creating a perfect feast for flies. Flies reproduce rapidly, often competing their life cycle in just 7 to 10 days, allowing them to multiply quickly.

The life cycle of a fly is relatively short, with the female capable of laying hundreds of eggs in a single breeding cycle. If not controlled, this can quickly lead to a significant infestation, putting your flock at risk for disease such as fly strike and other health issues.

Management Systems

Managing flies doesn't have to be overwhelming. By following these management practices, with the tools we mentioned, you can create a thriving environment for your chickens. Fly Free!

The system you have in place is going to dictate how many problems you have or don't have in your chicken yard.

It doesn't matter how many chickens you have or what your set up is, you need to manage with the concept of maintaining a clean, dry environment for the chickens, that's the objective.

The simpler you keep it, the less work you will have to do. The more you complicate it, the more its going to cost and the more flies and rodents you will have.

Eliminate the Waste

What makes clean up in the coop easy is droppings boards under roosts. It is the best solution to eliminating this stinky fly attractant and it takes less than a minute daily to keep the coop poop-free! With the help of a drywall taping knife to scrape the droppings off the roost, into a compost bucket. A thin layer of Fresh Coop absorbs any residual moisture on the droppings boards, creating an inhospitable environment for flies and ammonia!

Flies like a wet, smelly environment. If the boards are cleaned off daily, flies will not be an issue.

The Type of Litter Matters

Litters primary function in backyard coops is to keep the environment dry and facilitate waste removal. It is not the purpose of keeping chickens warm in the cold weather.

Chickens need litter, not bedding as they do not sleep on the ground, they roost.

Use Sand as Litter in the Coop/Run

The run must be covered. Sand coats droppings and without retaining moisture.

The type of sand matters, It needs to have different size particles in it to perform properly so it doesn't pack down, as it needs to stay loose.

Do not use play sand as it contains silica, is dusty and not healthy for their respiratory system.

The best way to determine the proper sand is to go to your local landscaping company. It goes by different names, you need to physically go to the business and look at the different types.

It can be called construction, river, bank, quarry or tile bed sand. The most important thing is that it's characteristics have different size particles.

 A favorite tool used in the chicken run for removing droppings easily and efficiently is a Sand Sifting Pan. With the use of the Sand Sifter you can easily scoop up the droppings from the sand and fill the Sand Sifting Pan, the sand falls through and the droppings are left behind to dispose of in a compost bucket for very easy removal.

Details on how to use sand for litter, refer to our blog "Sand for Litter in the Coop and Run"

Do Not Keep Food and Water in the Coop

Chickens drinkers and feeders should be kept out of the coop to eliminate the most obvious and avoidable source of moisture from the coop. Chickens don't drink water while they're sleeping, so keep it in the covered run during waking hours.

You can not have chickens coming into the coop all day long to eat and drink, that is their full time job, when they eat, they poop. You can't have a clean, dry coop as their droppings are 80% water. Moisture and smell attracts flies.

A chicken coop has two functions, to lay eggs and sleep, everything else should be done in the covered run.

The insulated Premier One Poultry Nipple Drinker keeps water cool in the heat and prevents freezing in winter with an electric heating element.

An Option to Purchase

Chick' N Protect is a preventative we provide. It a natural insect repellent that helps repel many forms of insects including flies and mites without harming the environment.

It also neutralizes odors that attract insects. Recommended for coops, roosting bars and nesting boxes and has a pleasant scent to refresh your coop.

Chick N' Protect

Buy Now

Conclusion

Management doesn't mean a constant outflow of money from your wallet.

It involves systems that work on your behalf.

We don't use any products to manage odor or flies because we don't have issues with them, which definitely saves money.

The simpler you keep things, the less work you'll have. The more you complicate it, the higher the costs and the more flies and rodents you'll attract.

Have you tried sand for litter in the coop and run yet?

Nothing performs litter's job better, is more sanitary to use with chickens or is easier to maintain than sand!

Gotta love low-effort, superior-performing chicken keeping methods!

Work smarter, not harder at keeping healthy and managing waste

Droppings Boards Under Roosts

Coop # 1

Coop # 2

You may be interested in other items we have listed in our ROSLIN RECOMMENDATIONS | Roslin Poultry Ranch-Amazon Affiliate Shop for all your chicken care needs.