Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Flystrike  (Read 5453 times)

Jukes Mum

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • North Yorkshire
Flystrike
« on: May 26, 2015, 04:18:04 pm »
 >:(
I have been dithering about as to whether to Crovect the sheep or not. I spoke to my shearer who said he is not bothered either way, but would shear them first week in June for me anyway. With this in mind I brought them all in for a bottom clean* and to spray the lambs who will not be sheared.
Anyway, Mr Tup did have a rather dirty bottom so I thought I'd hand shear his wagger and around his general bottom area and I found a small area of fly strike on the top of his tail. It was smaller than a 5p piece but looked to have a fair few maggots in there and was obviously rather sore. I cleaned it and put Crovect on the area and around his back end. I have had a good rummage and can't see any other maggots anywhere.
I have cleaned all of the others up but should I do anything before they are sheared (shorn?)  (hopefully next week) or just keep a really close eye on them?
Really worried  :-[

*a few of them have dirty bottoms so I took some samples to the vet- v low worm count so hoping its just new grass.
Don’t Monkey With Another Monkey’s Monkey

devonlady

  • Joined Aug 2014
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2015, 05:20:35 pm »
Look for frantically wagging tails, "nabbing" ie biting at their wool but, more importantly check frequently each day for fly eggs on their fleece. You will have to look closely!

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2015, 05:24:50 pm »
It's a good idea to clip all around the back end, the area which can potentially get filthy, in advance of the shearer coming.  Often you have to remove this wool from the fleece after shearing anyway.  If you are worried about flies, then spray just the cleared area, not the fleece, but of course you would then have to do the whole sheep after shearing.  Definitely spray your lambs now - they are more susceptible to flies, and what's a small area on an adult sheep is much bigger on a lamb.

Don't feel too bad about the tiny patch of strike on your tup - you've found and treated it very promptly.  For the rest of the flock, watch them carefully in case flies get somewhere not clipped before your shearer gets there.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2015, 08:18:09 pm »
Also watch out for sheep looking at the ground then making a sudden small movement, or going off by themselves, or nibbling at a foot.

princesslayer

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • Tadley, Hants
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2015, 09:44:04 pm »
Look for frantically wagging tails, "nabbing" ie biting at their wool but, more importantly check frequently each day for fly eggs on their fleece. You will have to look closely!

Devonlady - can you see fly eggs on the outside of the fleece?  Do they lay eggs on the surface and the hatched maggots do the burrowing? I always assumed the flies laid the eggs on the skin but that makes much more sense.
Keeper of Jacob sheep, several hens, Michael the Cockerel and some small children.

devonlady

  • Joined Aug 2014
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2015, 11:25:11 pm »
Yes, you can but you do have to look closely and several times a day as they hatch and burrow quickly.

Jukes Mum

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2015, 08:20:08 am »
Thanks All. I have sprayed the lambs and clipped around the adults bottoms. I will now start the "looking at them very closely". Love having more of an excuse to just look at my sheep  :innocent:
Don’t Monkey With Another Monkey’s Monkey

Katrina

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Cornwall
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2015, 09:35:55 am »
She has a sweet face  :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep:

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2015, 10:00:49 am »
I think we could cope with more pics of your flock Jukes Mum - what lovely cute sheep  :hugsheep:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

kelly58

  • Joined Mar 2013
  • Highlands, Scotland
  • Home is were my animals are.
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2015, 10:08:04 am »
Is she a 'down' sweet face :sheep:

Jukes Mum

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2015, 10:29:19 am »
They are rather nice sheep :-)
I could bore you all for hours with piccies  :roflanim: I don't have any recent one, but here are the lambs in April.
I am also going to blatantly brag about my sheep shelter which we managed to finish just before lambing! We went for the 'rustic' look  :innocent:
Don’t Monkey With Another Monkey’s Monkey

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2015, 12:21:59 pm »
Can we have some front views please  :eyelashes:  Their bums are lovely too but.....

That is indeed a perfect, sturdy shelter - well done.  The sheep clearly love it.

I like seeing your hens wandering around amongst the sheep.  Ours do that too, and we'll sometimes see a pile of hens and sheep sunbatheing together.  In fact in the winter there were hens sitting on top of sheep, presumably to keep their feet warm. :sheep: :chook:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Jukes Mum

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2015, 12:43:47 pm »
Aw! I like the thought of that, but the hens get chased by the lambs too much to sit on them!
I will try for some front views but usually if they are coming towards me it is at 100 miles an hour!

Sorry Katrina- they are Ryelands
Don’t Monkey With Another Monkey’s Monkey

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2015, 01:13:27 pm »
We have only had 1 case of flystrike which was last year but it was inbetween the lambs shoulder blades- so worth checking that area too. In fact check the whole sheep haha! We sprayed ours with crovect last week and will go on the 6 week rule now after our lamb last year was struck on the middle of the 6th week after treatment :(

Jukes Mum

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Flystrike
« Reply #14 on: May 27, 2015, 03:28:38 pm »
Thanks for the heads-up Twizzel
Don’t Monkey With Another Monkey’s Monkey

 

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