The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: moprabbit on May 03, 2015, 10:52:00 pm
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Now the warmer weather is on its way hopefully, my thoughts are turning to prevention of flystrike. I should be getting my ewes sheared about mid May so don't want to use any chemicals that would be a problem to my shearer, but want to protect against flystrike in the mean time. Last year I used 'Barriers Blowfly Repel' which seemed very good but it stained the fleeces which I use for spinning. I wondered what other people have found effective that maybe didn't stain the fleece yellow? Thank you
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Crovect - but you'd probably have to retreat after shearing. I am fortunate with Wiltshire Horn - they don't need shearing.
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We are in North Lincolnshire and will be ringing the shearer today
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I treat with dynamite pre shearing and then click once the new fleece has grown a bit
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Mmmm clikzen but that s still got 7 weeks clearance. What about clearing them real short on the bum and maybe through shoulder to give little clearance for the flies to Lay?
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Have you looked at BLOWFLY traps .
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ectofly? it comes out blue, but does come off when washing fleeces as far as ive been told, we use it an seems to do the job
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Thanks for all the replies. Ectofly sounds interesting. I'll go and have a look round my local agricultural merchant - see what they've got. They seem to have loads of things for horses, wondered if any of those would be suitable? Has anyone tried them?
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Take my word: fly repellants for horses are nigh on useless. Most horse forums have threads rueing this fact and come up with such things as listerine or a mix of paraffin and detol as being more effective.
I used Coopers/Pfizer Spot On last year, which is only used on established fly strike, but helps keep most nasties at bay as well. I don't remember any staining on the fleece as you put it on the skin.
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I'm trying neem oil. Spray it on at 4 weekly intervals.
wait to see if it works.
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Crovect to prevent fly strike. Ectofly doesn't last as long or have as much of an effect as crovect.
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Crovect is permethrin, which presumably is one of the chemicals you are trying to avoid. However, as mentioned on a previous thread, it can be diluted significantly and still be effective against blowfly, but less potentially harmful to your shearer. It needs to be diluted with an oil, as opposed to water, to prevent it just running off the fleece. I have found dilution (about 5x) with red diesel very effective. I tried for the first time last year and got no blowfly strike, even though I didn't shear until July. I've also put it on my mule this year and so far it has prevented her getting sweet itch, in spite of the midges coming thick and fast in the last week.
You could also use paraffin for dilution, or liquid paraffin (aka pig oil) - obtainable in 5l packs from agricultural merchants.
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Not sure I'd want to handle a fleece with diesel on it either though.
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Hence the option of using liquid paraffin, which is the prime ingredient of baby oil. :sunshine:
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What about an infusion of quassia chip and citronella, smells disgusting to flies and citronella helps keep mosquitoes at bay too.
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Sounds interesting Waterbuffalofarmer! What are quassia chips and where would you get them from?
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Sounds interesting Waterbuffalofarmer! What are quassia chips and where would you get them from?
Quassia chips are wood chips you have to soak them for about a couple of weeks or so and you can buy them from the herbal apothocary you make a tincture with them and then put a few drops of citronella oil in the tincture and spray on the sheep. Am not entirely sure how I made the tincture was a long time ago, try and look it up on the web.
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Dynamite has citronella in it. You just dilute it in water and the bottle lasts for ages.
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If you ve not had a case of strike, and do this summer, you ll not worry about the chemicals, you ll use the products that really work. A horrible horrible thing to deal with, we ve had four now out of over 200 head ewes n lambs, despite being sprayed, side of haunches the one we spotted and caught yesterday. I don't think I'd sleep if they had no real coverage, even though we are getting the odd one. They are checked daily......still waiting for shearer, sheep are up high in the wind, I hope he turns up this weekend, rain Friday night, so it could be Sunday....
The ewe lamb in question is fine, we had to be on our toes to catch her, but luckily I called the ewes down and they all came running down towards her, good girls, and we all surrounded her under some hawthorn, baz employing superb technique and now she s with a tiny group by the house.
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There's no reason to hold off Crovecting the lambs, as they won't be shorn this year.
Some handspinners don't mind Crovect, they'll just give the fleece a jolly good wash before starting to process it. But of course you must declare it, and some handspinners (including this one) will not want to purchase it.
And of course, products which stain may also be acceptable, as many handspinners will dye the fleece in any case ;) Again, you'd want to declare what has been used, and that it has stained the fleece.
You could also take an approach of Crovecting the breeches only, then making sure you skirt them hard so that all Crovected fleece is removed before the fleece is offered to a handspinner. I'd still explain what you've done, though.
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We use citronella oil to keep flies off calves in the shed. Haven't had any problems so far.
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We ve had the call....shearing Friday hurrah !!!! :excited:
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We ve had the call....shearing Friday hurrah !!!! :excited:
Good for you, I sheared my sheep on sunday! :)
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Mmmm it's just started to rain, praying it s only showers :huff:
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All done! Beautiful day for it ! X