The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Freddiesfarm on May 27, 2010, 02:32:55 pm
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Anyone got any special remedies for maggoty hoof? I am still waiting for the shearers down here in sunny devon and have been told they won't be here now til mid June. So whilst crovecting all the ewes I tipped two with bad feet and discovered maggots! Yum!
Now I have parred the foot right back and sprayed with a bit of crovect and also some engemycin, but does anyone have any nicer remedies for this affliction?
Maggots is one thing I really don't like about this time of year, but atleast foot maggots aren't the big stinking ones you get with flystrike! Yuck, Yuck, Yuck!
Plus whilst we are on the topic of helpful hints - any known rememdies for removing the smell of maggots from your hands? Or is it just psychological that you can still smell it?!?
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yuck.
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Maggots in the hoof are not quite as bad as fly strike maggots in that they can actually help clean up the hoof by eating dead material and not live. Used in human medecine too to clean out dirty wounds which are not easy to treat otherwise (not sure I would like being on the receiving end with all that wriggling ;D ). What you did was fine.
Making bread or pastry gets rid of the smell :) :) Rubbing with half a lemon might help too. I couldn't get rid of yesterday's smell of sheep poo in spite of dozens of hand washes until I washed my hair this morning....... I think most of it is psychological in that after such a horrible smell, anything you sniff afterwards will smell of maggots.
Don't forget that if you are sending your fleeces to be processed by the Natural Fibre Co and similar, or selling to handcrafters, you shouldn't have applied Crovect or any other anti Fly Strike stuff for 3 months beforehand.
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Hello Freddie!!!
A tip I picked up from an old bloke about 30 years ago is.....dip a good goose wing feather in a pot of that yellow fly cream....you remember the bright yellow stuff that kills fly eggs and maggots?.....I think they sell it in MVF
take the cream covered feather and wiggle it between the cleats of the hoof as a stout feather gets into the nooks and crannies! It works a treat! Lavender essential oil keeps the smell at bay too, and has antiseptic properties as does tea tree oil which is fab.
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These forums are great for tips and hints!!
I normally get my sheep sheared early in May but various things stuffed that plan this year and now they can't make it til mid June.
I'm not entirely sure I would eat the bread that I had made to get rid of the smell of flystrike - I know it is stupid but I'd rather opt for the lemon or lavendar approach.
Plus Val - I like the feather idea - I shall add that one to my list of cunnning farming tips!!
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I stand them in formalin bath for 5 minutes, maggots hate it.