[shotblastuk]

I haven't had any animals with flystrike at all this year. I keep my animals above sea level and they don't really get bothered by maggots/greenbottles, however am always on the lookout for odd behaiviour. Has it been very bad for flystrike this year?

Just wondered what sea level has to do wjth chances of fly strike? Could you enlighten me? I'm on the Cotswolds so good news if this is significant. 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

When I say sea level I mean hilly areas. I live on the hills above the sea, facing the sea, so I get a good breeze which keeps the maggots away, even in summer it can be quite chilly ( doesn't bother the sheep though). I have fields in the lowland areas, which I cut for hay, I used to put the sheep on them but fly strike was too much, so now I just keep em on the hills in the summer and I have hardly any cases at all (this year none so far). Also the sea breeze whips up salt and you get really cool air even in summer, so that helps keep the flies and maggots at bay.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I haven't had any animals with flystrike at all this year. I keep my animals above sea level and they don't really get bothered by maggots/greenbottles, however am always on the lookout for odd behaiviour. Has it been very bad for flystrike this year?

Just wondered what sea level has to do wjth chances of fly strike? Could you enlighten me? I'm on the Cotswolds so good news if this is significant. 

I think it may be to do with altitude, the higher you are the less of the chance of flystrike, after all the flies can only live at certain altitudes. An example of pests is the coffee, or is it tea plants, in Africa. They grow the bushes at high altitudes and the pests which usually damage the plants can't live at high altitudes which means they have no pests at all. I think they're also a lot higher in caffeine too.

[shotblastuk]

I haven't had any animals with flystrike at all this year. I keep my animals above sea level and they don't really get bothered by maggots/greenbottles, however am always on the lookout for odd behaiviour. Has it been very bad for flystrike this year?

Just wondered what sea level has to do wjth chances of fly strike? Could you enlighten me? I'm on the Cotswolds so good news if this is significant. 

I think it may be to do with altitude, the higher you are the less of the chance of flystrike, after all the flies can only live at certain altitudes. An example of pests is the coffee, or is it tea plants, in Africa. They grow the bushes at high altitudes and the pests which usually damage the plants can't live at high altitudes which means they have no pests at all. I think they're also a lot higher in caffeine too.

Thanks for that. Interesting. I've been told that long grass also helps. (I've just moved my flock into a sloping field with 2 ~3ft grass so we'll see, If I can find them again)!!

[Marches Farmer]

When we're waiting for the shearer I move my sheep to our westernmost field, as it catches the breezes coming off the mountains.

[Kimbo]

Don't say that Im about to become thankful for living in an exposed site that is always windy! I didn't see myself ever saying that 

Is it possible to overdose on Crovect? As Im terrified of flystrike Im Crovecting  the sheep every 5 weeks (just done them for the 2nd time). But if one was to be struck I would then be pouring Crovect on the maggots to kill them. Is that much Crovect going to harm the sheep? I should have asked the vet when he came last week to do the flock management plan but I didn't think to.

[Hellybee]

Oh I'd avoid long grass here

[shotblastuk]

Don't say that Im about to become thankful for living in an exposed site that is always windy! I didn't see myself ever saying that 

Is it possible to overdose on Crovect? As Im terrified of flystrike Im Crovecting  the sheep every 5 weeks (just done them for the 2nd time). But if one was to be struck I would then be pouring Crovect on the maggots to kill them. Is that much Crovect going to harm the sheep? I should have asked the vet when he came last week to do the flock management plan but I didn't think to.

I always dose 20ml more than it says just to reassure myself that I've done the job thoroughly and I have big sheep so I find I can't get the coverage on them with the 40ml dose. So far I haven't seen any problems. May seem a waste of money but no flystrike YET on longwools in three years. Getting the timing right is crucial with crovect and the likes, wet weather after dosing is not good. I keep mine tight penned for an hour after dosing I find this helps in distributing the crovect better where they rub against each other!!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Same i'd avoid long grass. the worst cases of fly strike I had was with long grass.

[Hellybee]

We use clik n clikzen here now as a rule.  I do a sweep down spine from nape to end of tail, a small sweep across shoulders, and a little one across haunches.

[Hellybee]

The coastal winds on high fields are just too much for the flies, they can't compete, perfect. n that's just what were doing keeping them up high.