[jheard]

Yep nutterly - have re-sprayed the group. Trying to keep a close eye on them all now. 2 of the 5 come to the bucket but the other 3 show no interest so working on that which will make it easier!

[Coximus]

Best of luck - As a general rule I do them every 6 weeks, so as not to allow and window periods.
Its worth setting up a feeder in a catching pen for a few days before you want to re do it- so they rush you making it rather simple to put them down a race and spray.

[Kinburn 1919]

Each of us has to make the decision based on our own circumstances and preferences, but Clik is extremely damaging to the environment; it kills dung beetles, amongst other things.

I do understand how important it is to feel that one's sheep are fully protected however, particularly for sheep keepers who aren't in a position to check their sheep themselves every day.

   most things are bad for the environment apparently, but for hundreds of years farmers dipped their sheep in sheep dip baths that were usually right next to burns (small streams) and the trout still managed to live despite this,,if clik is damaging to the environment is not all these type of products,, I am sure if you keep sheep away from watercourses till they are dry,, clik does not kill anything by applicating it, it is a growth retardant.. to not use such products is damaging to sheep and to a keepers bank balance

[SallyintNorth]

Yes, they are all damaging to an extent, and yes, if you have strikey flies you will want to treat your lambs at least.

Clik, however, is the most environmentally damaging of the flystrike preventative products.  Vetrazin among the least environmentally damaging of the noxious chemical type of preventative.  Crovect in the middle.  Clikzin is the same as Clik, it's just a weaker solution so has a shorter withdrawal.

Clik is also a systemic product, so it's in the meat, whereas Crovect and Vetrazin stay on the wool and protect only where applied.

As I said above, one of the things that Clik does is kill the dung beetles which usually process your sheep's dung into nutritious fertiliser for you, as it is being excreted in the dung.

Some of these products can be applied under an organic regime, with a derogation from your vet.  Organic rules always want twice the length of withdrawal that non-organic does.  When I last looked into it, you were allowed to use Vetrazin in an organic system, with a doubling of the withdrawal period, but you could not use Clik under any circumstances.

[Fleecewife]

I totally agree with Sally on this.

Also, the old sheep dips were indeed very dangerous both to the environment and to the operator.  Being organophosphates they were toxic to humans causing long term health problems, including depression, which may have contributed to the high rate of suicide in farmers.   Definitely not benign stuff, OPs.

[Penninehillbilly]

Noticed flies round my boy again yesterday, not the bottle flies, but I sprayed him with citronella, got the lamb as well but ewe saw what was coming and off down the field, I'll get her though :-).

[BenBhoy]

Thanks everyone. It was strike but have cut all affected fleece away, cleared as much as we could and cleaned up then used the crovect on all lambs. Bless him. We've only had him 10 days and it's our first time with sheep but hopefully caught it in time. He was so good for us though. Phew

          glad you got him in time, a sheep that has missed could be dead between Friday and Monday,have seen it often, thankfully not for a long time, You should try one of the Longer acting ones next year like Clik or Dysectin... these can last up to 12 weeks and act as insect growth retardants, though if you do get fly strike on one treated with these type products, you still would have to use Crovect or something to treat the strike, as they are only preventative and have no effect on live stuff.. a few years ago I did my lambs with Crovect because the withdrawal period was short, but Clik is now down to 41 days I think..

Dysect can be used to treat established strike too.