[moprabbit]

Just wondered if anyone had any ideas...I'll probably be having my sheep sheared towards the end of May or the beginning of June depending on the weather. I saw the first green bottle today and panic immediately sets in regarding flystrike! I know Clik protects for up to 16 weeks, but some shearers don't like to shear if chemicals have been used. So I wondered what things I could use against flystrike before I have them sheared that is effective in protecting the sheep but not harmful for my shearer? Thank you!

[Liz Kershaw]

would love to know the answer to this as well ... Big discussion today over what to do as last lamb due 10th May and not sure if you can Clik nursing ewes?

[Hellybee]

Clickzen? Around 6 weeks though still.Short withdrawal.


Crovect. Ans similar products But no shearer will touch a recently crovected  sheep.


That's it really.

[shotblastuk]

Here's a couple of websites which may be of interest.  http://www.thenaturalfibre.co.uk/sites/default/files/files/Flies.pdf

http://www.barrier-biotech.com/product.php?pid=BR

I am in the same situation so I'm going to try the blowfly repel

[silkwoodzwartbles]

Crovect only has an 8 day withdrawal period for meat so I wouldn't imagine it would bother a shearer coming in in a month's time. We Crovect'ed our girls last weekend - better safe than sorry

[Sbom]

Get them crutched out to help keep them clean, this will help to keep them clean and therefore less attractive to flys

[ladyK]

I have used Blowfly Repel for short term situations and found it to be very effective.

[Hellybee]

I know our shearer wouldn't even after 8 weeks of crovect.


We re doing the lambs with clik and the ewes with cliczen.

[Bionic]

Before shearing I do mine with some stuff that someone on here recommended a while ago. sorry, can't remember the name right now. I think it has a base of citronella and needs to be sprayed on once a week but its easy to do.
Its cheap too. I have had the same bottle for 3 years now and it cost about £10.

You dilute a few mils with water. I've not had a problem since I started using it,

After shearing I use clik for the rest of the season

[waterbuffalofarmer]

you could douse them with quassia chip and citronella, the flies hate that.  But it would require it everyday and it may permiate the fleece as the smell is rather strong

[SallyintNorth]

Crovect only has an 8 day withdrawal period for meat so I wouldn't imagine it would bother a shearer coming in in a month's time. We Crovect'ed our girls last weekend - better safe than sorry

Crovect acts on the fleece; it is not systemic like Clik.  Hence the short meat withdrawal.  But it persists in the fleece for at least 10 weeks.

Some shearers, some shepherds and some handspinners have developed sensitivity to Crovect and can be made extremely ill handling fleeces which have been Crovected within the previous months.  You should always tell your shearer, and any handspinners to whom you are marketing your fleeces, if the sheep have been Crovected within the 4 months prior to shearing.

They really should carry a 'fleece withdrawal' on the products. 

[Fleecewife]

Moprabbit - as you have only four pet sheep, it would be easier and less potentially dangerous to anyone handling them or the fleeces, if you just checked your sheep over carefully each day.  Crutch them if they are dirty and deal with any scouring and look deep down within the fleece to skin level for any sign of strike - however, I doubt a fly would get past daily checks.

[Blackbird]

I use Dyna-mite or Blowfly Repel until shearing, then Clik afterwards. I hate this time between flies appearing and shearing, especially as the new grass has led to a couple of mucky bums. Have clipped and dagged but still worry till they are shorn. 

[Marches Farmer]

Watch out for a sheep separating herself from the rest, sudden small, sharp movements, nabbing at side fleece or a foot, damp looking patches on the fleece (especially across the shoulders), and lots off lies settling on or buzzing around one sheep in preference to the others.  Also check feet are sound as flies will lay in clees with footrot.  We don't put anything on the fleece coming up to shearing and do the lambs with Clik once we see more than half-a-dozen greenbottles in a day.  We put the mature sheep on the windiest fields if we can.

[Hellybee]

^^^