The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: plumseverywhere on July 04, 2012, 05:35:34 pm
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I noticed some blowflies landing on all of my sheep earlier - just the odd one or two and I batted them off, checked the sheep (no maggots).
I have clik'd them but if the flies are still landing, should I worry?
thanks
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I don't think Clik or Crovect repel flies, but either stop the maggots hatching or burrowing.
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Hi Plumbs,
You could use some Tea Tree oil in water to spray onto the sheep, that should deter flies.
Philip :sheep:
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Thanks both.
Philip - will try that, they are leaving the ones you sheared alone but hovering on the fluffy lamb boys - I will tea tree them tomorrow!
Lisa
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I watched a little bird picking at something on the back of my sheep yesterday (nothing wrong with the sheep) more like the savannah than rural Hampshire....
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Hi Plumbs,
You could use some Tea Tree oil in water to spray onto the sheep, that should deter flies.
Philip :sheep:
Where the weather has been so wet & humid the flies will not leave the sheep alone even though they have been clicked.
What rate of oil to water would you suggest.
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I don't know how much, all I know is one of my customers uses a hand sprayer bottle (the ones you use for spraying flowers) full of water with something like ten drops of oil in, try it and see and if it isn't strong enough just add more oil.
The other thing some people use is the Garlic granules which they sell to put in horses feed, the only problem is the sheep start to stink!!!
Hope this helps,
Philip :sheep:
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The other thing some people use is the Garlic granules which they sell to put in horses feed, the only problem is the sheep start to stink!!!
I don't know how to break this to you, Philip - but most folks think sheep stink in the first place... ;):D
:bouquet: :sheep: :love:
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Blow Fly Repel is very good stuff. It makes them smell like peppermint drops (and keeps the blowflies away!).
The smell of maggots attracts other blow flies so I would be very vigilant if I saw flies landing.
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Right, I am going to show my ignorance, I know :(
There are presumably many different species of fly and I can't say I've ever looked into who is who in the fly world. Are the blow flies the slim ones with brownish bodies? There seem to be a lot of these around my sheep and me when I sit with them. Never noticed so many as in this last week. Getting paranoid ::)
They have been treated with Crovect.
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They are bright green - actually quite a beautiful green - but that's the only 'nice' things about them >:(
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Sally!!! how can you say that? Sheep are such clean, flowery smelling creatures!!!Not ;D
Philip :sheep:
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Oh , thanks Plums.
These are definitely brown. Wonder what they are? They like the sheep ???
Okay, I will share a secret. I think sheep smell just fab. I love that smell . My friend along the lane say's she really doesn't get it! ???
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Horseflies maybe, they bite. :o
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ohhhhhhh nooooooo! sheep are stinky lol!!! Whenever I've been doing sheep jobs, I can smell it on myself despite showers/baths etc and no amount of coffee soap shifts it!
There are usually brown flies hanging about on the poo - sort of a coffee colour fly?
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In the hills,
I have found the same as you. I was sitting watching them land on the sheep and take off again. I think these are just ordinary flies. Mine certainly aren't horse flies as they are too small.
Blowflies are the big buzzy things or bluebottles I would call them. I haven't seen any of those on my sheep, thankgoodness
Sally
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Sheep have a smell unto themselves. I can smell it when I am spinning but don't actually dislike it.
Maybe I am just strange
Don't all rush to agree ;D ;D
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yellow dung flies possibly? In the below link it says they lay their eggs in sheep poo - there are certainly alot around here at the moment
http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/nature/pictures/large-insects.asp?pic=151 (http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/nature/pictures/large-insects.asp?pic=151)
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Mmmmmmm what a lovely picture ;D not sure I'd like my sheep's poo to look like that though!
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Well I can't say that I have seen my flies up that close so its difficult to tell.
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Mmmmm ...... thanks all. Not sure.
I'm guessing that they are not Horse Flies - don't look big enough. Thank goodness.
Dung flies - possibly. Look more brown than yellow though. ???
Not blow flies because not green and not buzzy. ;D
You don't mean Plums that you actually try to wash off that wonderful sheepie aroma. How about sheepie smelling soap. Lovely.
Bionic - not wierd at all. ;D Will have to put spinning on my list of things to do.
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Hi Plumbs,
You could use some Tea Tree oil in water to spray onto the sheep, that should deter flies.
Philip :sheep:
I have used this in the past effectively.....Gold Label do an equine one with MSN which is also good for sheep. My other absolute fave is Barrier Blowfly Repel. I use it on my wrists and ankles to keep the horseflies and mozzies awayu. Totally natural too and smells gert-lush!
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The other thing some people use is the Garlic granules which they sell to put in horses feed, the only problem is the sheep start to stink!!!
I don't know how to break this to you, Philip - but most folks think sheep stink in the first place... ;) :D
:bouquet: :sheep: :love:
Gasp. Sally..... sheep???? STINK?????? LOL. I absolutely love, love, love that lanolin mixed with sheep poo smell that I seem to wear as a scent most days. :thumbsup:
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They have been treated with Crovect.
We have a ewe lamb, Stacey, who was very badly struck a few weeks back and lost about a quarter of her fleece. She has been kept close to home while she recovers, and the new pink skin is now fuzzing up. All the others were treated with Clik and remain clear, but because we've been handling Stacey daily and had had about a quart of Crovect to hit the original infestation we thought she'd be OK. Not so. Struck again on saturday, but no damage done because we saw it really early.
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Maybe some sheep are more susceptable to it than others. Like people with mozzie bites.
Just a thought
Sally
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There's certainly a body of opinion that supports that idea. My point though was that Crovect is not a good preventative while Clik is because it binds to the fleece
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Crovect will wash off if it's very wet weather. I don't know about Clik.
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Clik bonds to the oils in the wool so unless you then spray thenm with Fairly Liquid it should stay effective through foul weather. But it's also the reason why you're advised not to handle them for 10 weeks (or whatever) after dosing.
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Maybe some sheep are more susceptable to it than others. Like people with mozzie bites.
Just a thought
Sally
My shearer tells me that one of my ewes is more susceptible than others to strike as she has a very greasy back.....loads of lanolin and as giant super thick fleece... which I guess makes her also more prone to essentially getting cast!