walk through screen door for chickens

[rojororeo]

Okay, so here is an interesting question for you.
I would love to have better fly control inside the coop- it is rather gnarly in there with flies, even with the fly catcher on the outside with yummy rotten meat in it.
I do clean poop every day.. but still, they are chickens, ya know?
My question- For air flow, I have 2 large windows I have hardware clothed over for predator protection, and obviously the chicken access door.
I was thinking for fly prevention that I could put metal window mesh over the hardware cloth, and then at the chicken door, give them one of those walk through screen doors like you see for humans. Not magnetized though. Just with 2 sides/strips that line up on the door all the way around that they can walk through.
Does anyone see an issue with chickens doing that? Being newish to them, I don't know what they will tolerate vs. not in that dept. But it seems like a decent idea, right?
Thanks!!

 

[Hokum Coco]

 

[JackE]

A few things. First, how close to the coop did you place the fly catcher? You need to put that faaaaaaaaaaaaaarrr away, like all the way across the yard from the coop, because it DRAWS flys to it. Second, I would not recommend putting regular house window screen over the coop's windows. Chickens generate a lot of dust, what you will end up with is dust choked screens, which will mess up and block your fresh air/ventilation flow. And don't put anything over the popdoor, all you'll be doing there, is messing with your bird's minds, they won't like it. Check out the link below, a lot of people have had success with vanilla trees. What have you got to lose, if anything your coop will smell better.








https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/382037/vanilla-fly-controll

 

[rojororeo]

I didn't even think of the dust.. even if I am brushing it a couple of times a day, you still think?
I was wondering if it wouldn't mess with their minds, lol. I know some people put curtains in front of nest boxes, so that was the way I was thinking about it..
I also might have the fly catcher too close to the chickens. I was still experimenting with how well it worked, since I didn't do the raw meat or the attractant. I actually just scooped up a bunch of chicken poop and dumped it in- makes sense right?! Worked pretty darn well, I might say... Will definitely move that farther away...

Thanks!!
And yep, Hokum, that is pretty much what I was meaning

 

[mtnviewfarms]

Hi - not sure about the screen door thing - can't quite picture it but about the fly problem----------

Can't remember if it was someones post on here or not but I read that putting up vanilla scented
car air fresheners around the inside of the coop area - high enough so chickens won't eat them -
reduces the number of flys.

I thought this sounded pretty bogus but since I enjoy spending several hours per day with my
two flocks inside of the coop with them - I was ready to try anything!

It's been about two weeks since I put them up and we immediately noticed a significant reduction
in flys inside the coop - amazing.

might be worth a try - they are cheap - has to be the vanilla scent!

 

[rojororeo]

Hi - not sure about the screen door thing - can't quite picture it but about the fly problem----------

Can't remember if it was someones post on here or not but I read that putting up vanilla scented
car air fresheners around the inside of the coop area - high enough so chickens won't eat them -
reduces the number of flys.

I thought this sounded pretty bogus but since I enjoy spending several hours per day with my
two flocks inside of the coop with them - I was ready to try anything!

It's been about two weeks since I put them up and we immediately noticed a significant reduction
in flys inside the coop - amazing.

might be worth a try - they are cheap - has to be the vanilla scent!

I have seen that in a couple of posts. I was hoping for something a bit more permanent, and I always worry about using all those fake chemical things. I might have to look into it though, so I don't go batty from the flies!
Thanks!