Chicken Coop Flies

Guest Post By Karen Howeth - What the Clucks Up

Instagram: @WhatTheClucksUp

If you’re new to chickens, let me just warn you about something nobody seems to mention enough. The flies! You can go from seeing a few around the coop to suddenly wondering if they’ve invited the entire neighborhood over for a party. And of course, chicken poop, wet bedding and spilled feed are basically a five star restaurant to a fly.

I try to stay ahead of them by keeping the poop cleaned up, changing out wet bedding and cleaning up spilled feed. I also use a fly trap to catch some of the little buggers. But when they get really bad, sometimes I need a little extra help, so I’ll use a fly spray too. It’s not the whole answer, just one more thing I can do when the flies decide they own the place.

If you’re a new chicken keeper and you’re looking at your coop thinking, “Where did ALL these flies come from?” You’re not alone! Take a look around for anything wet, dirty or left out that might be attracting them. Keep things as clean and dry as you can, get rid of those little fly buffets and use a few different tricks to keep them under control. Because apparently, keeping chickens means constantly finding new ways to outsmart something. _______________________________________________________________________________

Karen’s expertise comes from hands-on experience and a genuine passion for learning everything she can about raising happy, healthy birds, and then sharing what she learns with others. She especially loves helping new chicken keepers navigate those “Wait…is this normal?!” moments with practical information, real-life experience, and a healthy dose of humor. Because with chickens, there’s always something clucking up! Connect with Karen on Instagram @WhatTheClucksUp.