Author Topic: end of fly risk? (Read 5248 times)

shrekfeet · « **on:** August 16, 2010, 12:06:45 pm »

when can you stop fly strike prevention treatment? We are based in the south

ellisr · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2010, 01:32:30 pm »

Probably be end of september to october for us all depends on temperature really

farming-girl · « **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2010, 06:28:18 pm »

Would suggest not yet!!! While ever the weather iswarm and humid flystrike will be a problem. Also may be more of problem if your sheep are kept near wooded areas / river / beck / stream etc

bazzais · « **Reply #3 on:** August 17, 2010, 12:01:51 am »

I have treated my 'new' girls today for flystrike, non had anything, all feet trimmed, new ear tags, wormed lovely

- I saw two wiggling their tails and scratching in the last few days but all 16 were OK.

I have found a few maggots on our boys in the last week in our bottom field (maybe,) cos its by a stream (though dry at the mo!), my ewes at the top field are fine, its windy and not damp no chance of flies really up there (really) + they are shawn - always good to look out for the signs though incase.

I hope to do the rest of my boys tomorrow, took 10 to market today (I am sort of sad and happy about that), the other 23 are going to be treated and kept till their over the withdrawal (+ big enough). Prob not risk it in the future leaving a gap - I'll treat according to the instructions while the threat is around. (though threat is a variable)

Ta

Baz

Anke · « **Reply #4 on:** August 18, 2010, 01:59:56 pm »

Despite treatment with Vetrazin about 5 weeks ago I found one of my ewe lambs with a very bad flystrike on her back yesterday. I actually took her to the vet as I wasn't sure if I could deal with the large hole on her back... He cleaned it all up and gave antibiotic. Now it's twice a day washing out with Savlon, treating with Nettex and Terramycin, I am not sure yet if she will pull through. (found another small hole this morning!) She is still as greedy for her food as always though!

One thing that I find really useful is Nettex fly spray for actual treatment of flystrike. Good to have in your summer sheep "bucket" together with the dagging shears... This summer I don't think I can rely on preventative treatment, I also had an infection of pink eye in one of my ewes!

Everyone else now had a second dose of Vetrazin!

Fleecewife · « **Reply #5 on:** August 19, 2010, 11:43:39 am »

Hi Anke. Vetrazin is not the best product against fly strike and I believe it is now being withdrawn. Crovect will kill any maggots which hatch and you can spray it onto a patch of them and watch them reverse out of the wool/flesh and die

Neither of these products will work on an area which has been missed when spraying. I haven't used spot-on or similar but they apparently work well too. Sorry to hear about your struck lamb and I hope she pulls through - I agree that taking her to the vet was the best move. What we have found with both Vetrazin and Crovect is that they work up to their 6 weeks but not a minute longer and, as you've found, you still have to be vigilant even when it is within the 6 weeks. Now I'm off to triple check my flock

Let us know how the lamb goes.

daddymatty82 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 19, 2010, 02:49:25 pm »

had maggot few weeks ago nothing better than a scrub of dettol and then crovect them usally sorts it if we catch it in time

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #7 on:** August 19, 2010, 11:06:22 pm »

we left the ram till last as the ewes had longer fleeces and daggier looking ends, he looked fine....of course all 21 of the ewes I (hand) sheared were fine and I got to him and his fleece literally fell off with maggots, he had several flesh wounds from them under the fleece and was weak even tho he had been 100% normal up to 24 hours previous.

After vet attention and course of antibiotics and bathing and cleaning the wounds plus a spell in the barn being pampered and Crovected he is now right as rain if rather bald on his back, and is back out with his wether friends.

But next year Im taking no chances, and will be using pour on.

NB we are on very well draining high up windy scottish hillside, nowhere near watercourse, but the blighters still got him so I reckon theres no such thing as a 100% safe location for this problem

Farm and country · « **Reply #8 on:** August 20, 2010, 01:19:45 pm »

Hi there, hope you don't mind me adding my little thread. I noticed none have you have mentioned Clik (by the same people as crovect) it doesn't TREAT strike but it does prevent for up to 16 weeks! Far longer than the others. We usually sell it with the Nettex Fly and maggot killer mentioned I think by ankey, just incase they come across any strike whilst crutching. It sells well mid season as it will take you through to the end. Guess its a bit late to use it now as it would cover you untill end of November! Maybe good for some tho. Hope this may help someone

Anke · « **Reply #9 on:** August 20, 2010, 09:47:24 pm »

WE seem to have had a problem of getting CRovect (my choice usually) here, farm shops did only have the huge bottles and they ran out next year, so no chance of finishing them up before use-by date. Clik is just too expensive, even if I have to repeat treatment once over the summer Crovect works out cheaper. As we only clip in mid/late June and you need to leave a at least a couple of weeks after clipping for new growth beofre applying any of these treatments, 16 weeks is just not necessary.

My only option this year was Vetrazin, and I will just have to watch closely now (and next year, as bottle is big!).

My lamb is still in the shed with her twin sister and her back is looking better. No signs of more maggots now, and it looks as if none of the wounds is getting infected (so far). She is loving the creep she is getting!

garden cottage · « **Reply #10 on:** August 21, 2010, 09:24:23 pm »

as an experiment we havent used any fly prevention this year, partly due to obsene prices to the smallholder for most of the products and when we did use it we still got occasional strike. so far this year ive had one lamb with strike on the back and a second with small area--- so no more than when we were using prevention.....................makes you think

ellisr · « **Reply #11 on:** August 22, 2010, 07:16:30 pm »

I use prevention and today still had strike on 3 lambs. That takes the count to 7 struck this year so I have sheep with bald butts every where

Shnoowie · « **Reply #12 on:** August 25, 2010, 12:09:08 am »

We use Crovect and have had two strikes this year. A few weeks ago one of our hoggets had it on her back end, but it wasn't too bad and she perked up very quickly after we'd clipped, cleaned, disinfected and crovect-ed. However, we noticed this morning that our ewe lamb (who came first in a show a couple of weeks ago with an excellent fleece) was away from the others, so we dragged her (literally) to the top of the field to have a look at her. From the top of her back, just in front of her hips, right down the right hand side to under her stomach she had maggots. It was a lot worse than the other one, and she really is very sorry for herself. She looks a bit like a Belted Galloway now, with a bald band sprayed purple with hints of blue. She hasn't gone off her food and is as greedy as ever, but I did give her some anti-biotics just in case...didn't have any lucozade with me, she'd have had that too otherwise!

It is such a worry - especially when you think you're being really careful, checking every day, and then you see a sheep looking unhappy. Tomorrow our rams are being searched, dagged and crovect-ed whether they like it are not, and the ewes will be due another search and dag, just in case.
We've been given another spray, not sure of the name, but it is pink. Apparently it is very good, so it may be worth giving it a go. Also going to have the field topped in the next few days so that there will be less places for the little flying buggers to hide. *shakey fist*