The Poultry Keeper

paulirl · Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 3

Hi folks many thanks for the welcomes.

I am a hobby chicken keeper with 11 chickens (1 of which is sitting tight on 4 turkey eggs) and 3 bantams, all are semi free range as they have a little plot all to themselves, we are currently collecting 6-8 eggs daily.

Now I have a severe fly infestation during the hot weather and no matter how clean we keep the coup they always seem to be around, in the hot weather, what I want to know is there anything I can do to keep the flies away.

jaydee67 · Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 9:29 pm Post subject:

There's a fly trap 'bag' that some people swear by for outside use, but I can't remember the name of it to google it. Hopefully someone will be along with a better memory.

Welcome to the forums.

paulirl · Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 3

I have heard spreading a bag of lime around should do the trick, does this work and will it harm the chickens in any way.

Lisa · Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 9:41 pm Post subject:

I tried a Red Top fly trap last year. Can't find a company site, though I've seen them advertised in Poultry mags. And they are for sale on ebay here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260000259204&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_ReBay_Pr3_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT

I found them brilliant at catching flies, but the traps use scent to attract them. And then the flies stay inside and start to rot. Which is not a good idea if you only have a small garden, which I do. (In fairness, the instructions do say to put them further away than I did).

I'd definitely try one again if I had a bigger garden.

Don't know about the lime thing...

Bhindi · Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 10:02 pm Post subject:

I was at first very impressed with my red top fly trap, but I felt it was attracting every fly in the neighborhood, so I had more flies than before, although they did eventually end up in the trap. I found the bag of flies quite sickening.

But if its dead flys you want it will do the job.

CP · Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 1:01 am Post subject:

The Red Top fly trap came from Interhatch originally.
We bought one last year & as Lisa says, it smells disgusting, but it does get rid of most of the flies. Shocked

(nothing is 100% foolproof)

We already have one to use this year, but haven't set it up just yet.

Their price last year was £9.99 including postage - I don't know if it's increased or not.

AFAIK they don't have a website, but their phone number is 01246 264646 & they are very helpful. Wink

poultry poofs · Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 1:22 am Post subject:

You wont keep them away all you can do is keep their house as fresh and clean as possible and remove the poo regularly to reduce the attraction to flies.Lime can neutralise smells but it has its own problems as it can burn. Citronella oil lamps are good at keeping flies away but you wont keep all of them away.Fly papers are good for trapping them but you will need to keep replacing them regularly.Fit fly screens to the windows or replace the windows with fine mesh screens and slats reducing the heat in the house lessens the attractiveness of the house to flies.
Red top traps are excellent but thats how they work the decay smell attracts the flies and the more it traps the more decay.Pretty disgusting but thats what flies love which is why they work and why they have to be sited well away from where you are or you will end up plagued with the smell too. Razz

We have farms all round and livestock and hence fly city so its pretty pointless trying to do anything here just hang papers and trap as many as possible and keep the doors closed.

nigel · Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:05 am Post subject:

You can also get fly trap from Fearing Farm suppplies

see link here

they seem to be similar to the red-tops but I haven't used them yet.

NOTE - remember when looking at fearing products they are all ex-VAT

mojo · Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 9:33 am Post subject:

we use sticky fly papers....cheap.....buy by the dozen..........clean ..........just drop on compost heap when full.........and no toxins to affect wildlife.......and they work