Official BYC Poll: How Do You Keep Flies Out Of Your Coop?

[Liz Birdlover]

When I scoop poop under perches I use a 5 gal bucket. That bucket needs to be emptied immediately out to compost far from coop. If you leave a poop bucket in the coop, it will draw flies. If I do see flies, there aren't many, they seek out wetness, fresh poop, etc. A fly swatter & a sticky tape help.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

In the coop, there is a sand floor that gets scoop every morning and put it in a bucket that goes out to dry for garden compost.
In the Run I hang a fly trap and rake the run every day.
View attachment 2695364

What do you use the blue boxes for? Nesting?

 

[Grandmas Coop]

What do you use the blue boxes for? Nesting?

Yes, I had these totes

for nesting boxes for the last 7 years, but I needed more room in the coop. When I put a brooder in I was having to put it under part of the roost-
SO<
out with the totes and in with the Wal-Mart file baskets/ milk crates/ ???

The White Leghorns mostly use the top left and one hen likes the top right Hahahaha but sometimes the eggs are in the bottom ones.

I just moved the new chicks into the coop today, the Brown LH's are 3 weeks tomorrow and the 2 Red LH's & White Orp. are 2 weeks old Tues.



I did move the water jug- So Rooster Bob has more room

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Yes, I had these totes
View attachment 2696139
for nesting boxes for the last 7 years, but I needed more room in the coop. When I put a brooder in I was having to put it under part of the roost-
SO<
out with the totes and in with the Wal-Mart file baskets/ milk crates/ ???

The White Leghorns mostly use the top left and one hen likes the top right Hahahaha but sometimes the eggs are in the bottom ones.

I just moved the new chicks into the coop today, the Brown LH's are 3 weeks tomorrow and the 2 Red LH's & White Orp. are 2 weeks old Tues.
View attachment 2696137


I did move the water jug- So Rooster Bob has more room
View attachment 2696138

Haha that’s awesome! We’re building our coop currently but I love innovative ways that don’t require wood!

 

[AntiqueB]

I don't have a fly problem in the coop or run. I scoop poop daily, and they have the yard to explore, so they spend very little time in there.

The yard, however, is a completely different story. The chickens used to eat the flies, but they ignore them now. I'm thinking of getting flytraps, as flies are everywhere in the yard, mostly attracted to poop.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

We live on a Dairy Farm. Cows equal lots and lots of flies everywhere.
I encourage the Barn Swallows to make nests anywhere they'd like.
I spray and use poultry dust in the coops. I have fans going.
And a not so secret weapon, something so strange but true... you probably won't believe it... but I hang these from the fans too... and replace them every couple of weeks...

Apparently flies hate vanilla.

 

[Chickstarrs]

We live on a Dairy Farm. Cows equal lots and lots of flies everywhere.
I encourage the Barn Swallows to make nests anywhere they'd like.
I spray and use poultry dust in the coops. I have fans going.
And a not so secret weapon, something so strange but true... you probably won't believe it... but I hang these from the fans too... and replace them every couple of weeks...
View attachment 2696266
Apparently flies hate vanilla.

I like this idea. I love the smell of vanilla.

 

[Ascholten]

Oh really, mine grab the lizards all the time. Poor things.

 

[BDutch]

I don’t have a fly issue in the ‘coop’, which is a combination of a tiny coop used for laying eggs with a small run + an extension originally build as a safe and covered extra run space. The extension is where they roost and poop and is extremely airy during summer. All 4 sides have air openings . So there’s always lots of fresh air coming in. Poop dries very quickly. In winter I block the cold wind with panels and only the south side is open.

On the coop floor I use sand.

In the outside run (no roof) there are flies wherever they pooped. The flies are natural dung cleaners. They are spot on and I don’t see the flies as an problem at all. .

 

[Ascholten]

We live on a Dairy Farm. Cows equal lots and lots of flies everywhere.
I encourage the Barn Swallows to make nests anywhere they'd like.
I spray and use poultry dust in the coops. I have fans going.
And a not so secret weapon, something so strange but true... you probably won't believe it... but I hang these from the fans too... and replace them every couple of weeks...
View attachment 2696266
Apparently flies hate vanilla.

THis makes me think. Once you got the little sniffy cardboard. When it comes time to redo them, instead of paying a few dollars for a new one, be a cheap ass like me, add a few drops of vanilla extract maybe and that'd be the equiv of a refill, only cheaper?

Wondering if that'd work.
Aaron