The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Bramham Wiltshire Horns on April 20, 2019, 12:48:18 pm
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With the temperatures hitting 22 degrees today is it still too early to Crovect the sheep
What’s anyone’s thoughts
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Just be mindful of your shearers, who should not be exposed to Crovect applied within the last few weeks. (Many say within the last four months.)
Keep all sheep clean and tidy, so be on top of worming and dagging.
If flies are about, select open breezy locations for susceptible sheep. But with shade - just not still, humid shade.
Nothing to stop you Crovecting lambs if they’re old/big enough, as they won’t get sheared this summer anyway.
Keep your eyes open for greenbottles. Once you see a couple or five of them in a day, probably time to Crovect the lambs at least.
Downside of early Crovect is that you’ll probably need to apply it again in eight-ten weeks. And just maybe a third time, depending.
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I'm thinking about shearing mine in the very near future. What are the downsides to shearing "too early"?
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Crovect needs applying every 6 weeks. Any longer than that and you risk strike. I would have thought too early to shear ewes with lambs at foot, the weather can be changeable this time of year. Just last week it was 3 degrees and now it’s 20 degrees. If you shear them too early milk production can suffer if it gets cold plus they are sticky and not easy to shear if the fleece/wool hasn’t risen.
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I think it depends on your shearer and when your planning on shearing. I would speak to him/her and she what they advise. If they can't shear for 6 weeks they might be happy for you to crovect now, or they might say to hold off and they'll shear in 3 weeks time.
I crovected my lambs earlier this week, but won't do the ewes till after their shorn, which should be in 4 weeks. Just try and keep the ewes clean and check them properly.
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We plan to be away for a few days soon, so I have used clikzin, a more diluted version of clik. I just couldn’t be away and give them no extra cover even with someone knowable and trustworthy checking them. My shearer is happy and I’m happy using it on the lambs... they should be shorn in 4-5 weeks so the lambs will be covered until the ewes need it again. As with All spot-ons it is horrible to the environment and in a perfect world ........ last year I didn’t use anything til the end of June other than crovect on a struck ram...
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We don’t have shearer do to having shedding sheep
No green bottles around yet i will wait for the first sign of them
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ah - if you don't have a shearer to worry about then I'd do them now - did my lambs earlier in the week :D
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isn't the whole point of having a wool shedding breed, that they don't get struck?????
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isn't the whole point of having a wool shedding breed, that they don't get struck?????
I still air on side of caution
For me personally it’s so I don’t need a shearer, they produce decent lambs and are good mothers
I never got struck last year I put it down to crovect
I am not naive to think it wouldn’t happen just because they drop there wool
So Answer to your questions is no!! That’s not the point of having a wool shedding sheep
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In my time keeping a small flock of Wiltshire Horns I’ve had two instances of fly strike (both fortunately spotted in time to successfully treat). Last year it was during a particularly humid week at the beginning of September. There is a much reduced risk with self-shedding sheep, but they are not immune. Around the base of the horns is a vulnerable spot, especially with mature rams. The same level of vigilance as any other breed is still needed.