4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[charlies82]

I love my chickens but it is not what i expected (i thought i did all my research) i have 4 chickens in the eglu plus convertor, i let them free range quite abit! But its all the flies especially in this heat. i can't get an extention on the run as it will be huge but have room for a 9ft by 6ft wir but i thought that i would be being cruel if i left them in that most of the time.

[Yolky]

It is tough making the decision and only you can make it. There are a couple of options you could look at to make things easier if you did want to keep them. For example you could re-home 2 of the chooks and so only have 2 yourself (and half the poo in the run) 2 chickens would be really happy in the eglu run especially if you have the converter with no free ranging time, my chooks get hardly any free ranging time as this year we have had a fox and her cubs living at the bottom of the garden and they are happy.

You can by citronella oil from the net and this sprinkled on a hanky and hung on the top of the run does cut down on flies too.

Also to add the poo does calm down a little, for the first couple of weeks it seems to be found that the move makes it a bit more smelly and sloppy but it will get better.

 

 

However these are just suggestions and you must do what you want to do and what is right for you, I don't want to make you feel bad or anything just show you some other options you perhaps may not have thought of. Good luck whatever you decide.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm really sorry to hear you feel you can't keep your girls . Obviously, only you know how you really feel but if you think you have room for a 9x6 walk in run, I think they would be happy in that (I have 3 in a 6x8 (ish) - see my signature). Could you not let them freerange like you currently do? You could downsize as Yolky suggests - a 9x6 run would be huge if you only had two.

 

There are lots of threads about flies and quite a few solutions (Flitraps being one that springs to mind). I find a walk in run makes poo control much more manageable too.

 

Do reconsider . I'm sure if you can reorganise things to make life easier, you'll start to enjoy it .

[charlies82]

No don't apologise! i needed advice and great advice that you gave! My OH is trying to talk me out of rehoming them anyway. If i were to get some citronella and just brave it out and save some pennies for a wir would a 9ft by 6ft by 6ft be ok for 4 chickens to stay in most of the time?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I would say yes . If you can sell your eglu run and converter that'll start filling the walk in run piggybank .

 

If you can put things like perches etc in a walk in run, it certainly helps. My 3 can freerange quite a bit but still spend lots of time in the run .

[charlies82]

Sorry ANH did not see your post (Im too slow typing) lol.

 

I would still let them free range but mainly in the evening, as i have two young girls one of whom follows the chickens then pokes the poo with her fingers they play in the garden quite abit so that was another concern.

[charlies82]

never thought of just selling that! Well between you and yolky and OH i think i will reconsider!! Thank you

 

Thank you

Charlotte x

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's OK . What you need is a setup just like mine . Get some netting (Omlet or other) and net off an area so your little ones can play in a poo free garden .

[Plum]

Just a thought. Are you sure the flies are coming from you not something else in your area?

 

If you have a walk in run it would be easy to poo pick and keep it clean. I have a cube and am able to get in to take the poo out and I poo pick the garden each evening and not had a problem with flies. Except the few who are always around. Good luck, i am envious of you getting a walk in run. Perhaps I will encourage the flies

[Olly]

I've never had a fly problem, and I don't poo pick every day either! I find using aubiose is fantastic, it soaks up most of the poo. Have you tried putting some citronella oil on a bit of kitchen towel and tucking it under the run cover or somewhere similar - I know some people swear by that.

 

I have noticed a couple, literally no more than two or three, hanging around the nesting box because one of my girls sleeps (and poos) in there, but I don't have any more than that.

 

A walk-in run would be great, not trying to put you off that idea! but the citronella might help a bit with the immediate problem.

[Seagazer]

I have to say that I've been picking the poo up daily in the WIR since I last cleaned it out and when I just went in to give the girls some ice cubes and cabbage I could not believe the amount of flies in there - yuk.

 

I've just tucked a couple of bits of tissue into the roof with citronella on them and hope that does the trick.

[sparkysmum]

Hello Charlotte, We have a WIR too but what has made a huge difference to our hen keeping is having an area of garden fenced off for our hens, which they are confined to during the day. This area is about 10m x 2.5m and has mature shrubs etc in it. This way we can enjoy the garden, the dogs can still use the garden, and poo is confined to the WIR & the hen garden. They are content & so are we No flies either Hope it all works out for you Allisonx

[Egluntyne]

Ditto to the above post.

[teri]

i keep my girls in a walk in run, home made, which is about 5 feet x12 feet (hubby wanted it smaller but was out when i built it i had a problem with mud and smells last week in the rain but i dont seam to get too many flies? i dn't poo pick every day, perhaps once, twice a week an i do a big clean out and disinfect every other week. i have four girls in the run at the moment , three of which are big sulfolks and they poo for england!!!! they do free range for a few hours every day as they also share the garden with my kids and i need to limit the mess made on the grass!!! i think if you have a big enough run and keep on top of the poo you should see less flies.....my girls eat most of them lol Lavender bags also help 'cause flies can't stand them and i have used them in the past. not sure if chucks should eat lavender so hang them out of reach!

[charlies82]

Thanks everyone! the flies dont seem to be in the run but in all of my flower beds, which is where the chickens usually are. However just had our bins emptied today and i have maggots in there and so do alot of people in this area ! maybe it is from that then as not many of you seem to suffer.

 

I would prefer the wir for piece of mind due to cleaning with the convertor! although i rake it twice a week and disinfect eglu once a week, obviously have daily routine too.

 

Started to sell my girls baby clothes to raise some money lol

 

Thank you everyone

[Guest]

Hi

 

I have got a semi wir(as didnt want a high one ) and I do have room to let them free range but with woodchip they are in all the time, one day I will organise to let them out but they are absolutely healthy happy and I suppose they dont know any different. I dont notice any flies at all we are rural the only time I have noticed a chicken smell in the wir is when it rains a lot. I dont poo pick I just sweep it all to the edges for the girls to flick it all around again the next day

 

good luck shame to get rid of them

indie

[Katy]

We have 4 in a 9 x 6 walk in run and they are fine. They have plenty of perches and a large shelf about 75cm up the back wall which we sometime put a roll of turf on if they can't get out to free range for a few days.

 

They do come out into the garden (a netted off section) for a couple of hours each evening and longer at the weekend but I wouldn't particularly worry if they weren't able to get out and free range when we are away on holiday for example as the extra levels give them more than enough space.

[Seagazer]

I love the idea of a roll of turf. I might do that as mine don't free range at all now. I imagine they would love it.

[Katy]

I love the idea of a roll of turf. I might do that as mine don't free range at all now. I imagine they would love it.

 

Yep, they love it. It only lasts a couple of days though, a bit longer if I remember to water it. Luckily my OH works next to a DIY store and the manager there lets him have the bits that are past selling.

[Hen Watch]

If it helps, I find I only notice flies on the absolutely very hottest days of the year. So I've only really noticed them for the last few weeks. The rest of the year is fine for me.

 

Three things help me:

 

I use Auboise on the run floor, which soaks up poops in the run.

 

I have Omlet netting fencing off a quarter of my garden for the chooks alone. (I did love them free ranging the whole garden but this is more sensible as kids don't need to watch where they step and they chooks don't eat all my plants). By containing their free range area, I can poo pick twice a day and therefore less poo to attract the flies.

 

But a good solution (if you are not on a water meter or have a hosepipe ban) is to get the hose once a day and blast the poops which then disolve into the grass. You don't get those bits left over like you do when you manually poop pick which may attract flies in hot weather.

 

Good luck in whatever you decide.

[charlies82]

Thanks everyone,

 

Flies dont seem to be much of a problem the last few days! I have moved the eglu on the patio aswell with auboise down!

 

After hearing from everyone and thinking long and hard - i am keeping my chickens and eventually building a wir.

 

So thanks everyone

Charlotte x

[sparkysmum]

Brilliant

[Redwing]

That is good news