Fly control that pays YOU

GrassFarmerGalloway

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Best fly control in the world: A good flock of laying chickens.

They follow the herd, spreading the manure, picking at the cow patties for fly larvae. They do a GREAT job. We have nearly ZERO flies around the barn. And, they lay fantastic eggs on all the surplus protein they get.

We're getting five bucks worth of eggs a day. If you don't have chickens, get 'em. They are absolutely invaluable. They also help cows live lives that are more at-ease, if you have been, helping they gain better, and if you have milk, I'm sure that having happier cows makes happier milk.

Just thought I'd throw that out there. :)

Who here has Avian Fly Control Service?
 

Farmer Kitty

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I have chickens but, they can't freerange due to all the prediators we have here. :(
 

GrassFarmerGalloway

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Farmer Kitty said:
I have chickens but, they can't freerange due to all the prediators we have here. :(
What sort of predators? We have coyotes (and not just any coyotes, coyotes that have bred with wolves to create superpredators), bear, fox, fisher, raccoon, hawks, eagles, do I have to go on? My answer to that is, keep the chickens around the barn area while freeranging. And shoot if you have to.
 

GrassFarmerGalloway

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Kute Kitten said:
We have all those predators plus a mountain lion every now and then.
Wow. That's pretty cool. That also means that you have to keep a close eye on your animals.

You have bobcat?
 

Farmer Kitty

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The bob cat has never bothered the animals. The cougars haven't yet either but, their numbers are low.

Keeping the chickens by the buildings won't help either. The hawks and eagles fly right through and the coyotes have been as close to the buildings as 3 feet from our back door.
 

GrassFarmerGalloway

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Farmer Kitty said:
The bob cat has never bothered the animals. The cougars haven't yet either but, their numbers are low.

Keeping the chickens by the buildings won't help either. The hawks and eagles fly right through and the coyotes have been as close to the buildings as 3 feet from our back door.
I see.

You CAN fence them in to a particular area, but unless they have freedom to go where the cows are, it kind of defeats the purpose. :(
 

Farmer Kitty

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GrassFarmerGalloway said:
Farmer Kitty said:
The bob cat has never bothered the animals. The cougars haven't yet either but, their numbers are low.

Keeping the chickens by the buildings won't help either. The hawks and eagles fly right through and the coyotes have been as close to the buildings as 3 feet from our back door.
I see.

You CAN fence them in to a particular area, but unless they have freedom to go where the cows are, it kind of defeats the purpose. :(
For fly control yes but, I still get great eggs! :)
 

GrassFarmerGalloway

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Of course!

How many're you getting? On a really good day, I get 11, but most of the time, it's around 8-10. That's still more than we know what to do with.
 
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