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Author Topic: Fly strike  (Read 8248 times)

Moleskins

  • Joined Sep 2009
  • England
Fly strike
« on: October 21, 2011, 04:56:59 pm »
Just had my first experience of fly strike - I wasn't looking for it this late in the year and so that's cost me a ewe lamb. Be warned.
Took me two days to get the smell out of my nose and it's got to be one of the worst bits of shepherding, please don't tell me there's anything worse!! I've done dagging, clipping and assisted with births up to the elbow nearly all of which are a joy by comparison.
Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2011, 05:01:00 pm »
Sympathies - it's a horrible thing in any circumstances and thankless if the animal dies in the end.  :bouquet:

bazzais

  • Joined Jan 2010
    • Allt Y Coed Farm and Campsite
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2011, 10:39:52 pm »
I've not been at this long - but I've seen the worst survive and the best die - full of surprises are sheep.

fly strike can catch anyone out - dont beat yourself up

maggots are on the top of my 'oh dear' scale too. (unspoken, though we all get it!)

sorry for your loss.

Baz

We are all honing our skills.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2011, 10:41:30 pm by bazzais »

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2011, 05:55:14 pm »
Its scary isn't it? even at this time of year  :-\  Its got to be the worst thing I've had to deal with in smallholding too - lost one, saved one and like Baz says its not always the worst ones that you lose. The smell lingers something awful and you dread finding it in another sheep. sorry you lost your ewelamb though moleskins, it makes it even worse that you went through such an awful ordeal and she still didn't make it  :bouquet:   
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

feldar

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • lymington hampshire
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2011, 09:13:54 pm »
Horrible you have my sympathies, we lost an in-lamb ewe with it last week, she look ok then we saw a patch on her, caught her up and trimmed them out went to get spray and antibiotic jab and she died in my arms, shock i presume, very distressing not even that badly affected with strike but enough to tip her over. Really gutted

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2011, 07:53:54 am »
I wanted to get some crovect in to have something on hand in case of flystrike ( not had it yet but.......) but at £53 for a couple of litres thought it was very expensive to leave on the shelf in case. does anyone have any cheaper standbys for once a sheep is struck and a product that will kill maggots.
Ravelry Group: - Ouessants & Company

MrsJ

  • Joined Jan 2009
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2011, 08:19:01 am »
Oh, so upsetting.  We nearly lost one last year, had to shear patches off him and pick out the maggots, but we got to it in time and he survived.  It can happen so quickly.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #7 on: October 23, 2011, 11:03:45 am »
I wanted to get some crovect in to have something on hand in case of flystrike ( not had it yet but.......) but at £53 for a couple of litres thought it was very expensive to leave on the shelf in case. does anyone have any cheaper standbys for once a sheep is struck and a product that will kill maggots.

Check the expiry date on the Crovect - buy one that will still be in date for use next year.

Otherwise, I've seen someone on here recommend Coopers' Spot-On - but I have no experience with it myself.

And you can always pick them out by hand if you don't want to or can't use chemicals.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #8 on: October 23, 2011, 11:57:08 am »
Hi, thanks my vet nurse training has hardened me to picking out maggots so thats not a problem but i thought that treating the sheep with something was conbsidered more efficient ? I may be worng in which case I'll pick them out.
Ravelry Group: - Ouessants & Company

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2011, 08:02:04 pm »
You can buy coopers spot on in  250ml/500ml or 1lt very effective at 5 ml per sheep for about £30 250ml will do a lot ,kills lice and ticks as well but unlike crovect does not prevent blowfly strike. IF you are willing to remove the maggots BATTLES maggot oil helps skin to heal and stops any immediate re strike

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #10 on: October 24, 2011, 01:21:58 am »
IF you are willing to remove the maggots BATTLES maggot oil helps skin to heal and stops any immediate re strike

Ah, that sounds good.  I was going to say, the only problem with a non-chemical treatment regime is catching fresh maggots if there were other eggs already laid when you picked out the first batch.  Sounds like Battles would cover that?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Moleskins

  • Joined Sep 2009
  • England
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #11 on: October 24, 2011, 11:32:50 am »
Thank you all for your support and input.
I have some Crovect unopened on standby and I would strongly recommend this, when it happens you need the resources available quickly. ( Even though this time it didn't help me )
Picking the maggots off, in my case I'd have struggled because of the amount there were, a friend suggested the hosepipe to wash them off, works to a point.  Many of us don't like to use chemicals and I'm at the front of the queue on that, but there are reasons for them being there and I would be more inclined to get in quick next time.
For info - I'd seen flies around the back ( backbone not bum ) of this sheep and didn't put 2 and 2 together. I did check her but of course at that stage it would only be eggs and too small to see.
So next time I see flies round a sheep I'm going straight in with the treatment and taking on board all the useful advice
on here, off to buy some Battles now. Have it on the shelf ready !! Thanks all.
Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana.

woollyval

  • Joined Feb 2008
  • Near Bodmin, Cornwall
    • Val Grainger
    • Facebook
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2011, 04:01:34 pm »
I wanted to get some crovect in to have something on hand in case of flystrike ( not had it yet but.......) but at £53 for a couple of litres thought it was very expensive to leave on the shelf in case. does anyone have any cheaper standbys for once a sheep is struck and a product that will kill maggots.

Ah but you don't just leave it on the shelf! You prevent flystrike rather than wait and see then have to try and save a sheep! With the number you have, which must be similar to me its £53 well spent....since a ewe is very valuable losing it will be more than £53!
I prefer Clik....and always keep an eye out for strike late on at the end of the protection period ....as a rule of thumb flystrike is possible anytime before a hard frost!
www.valgrainger.co.uk

Overall winner of the Devon Environmental Business Awards 2009

woollyval

  • Joined Feb 2008
  • Near Bodmin, Cornwall
    • Val Grainger
    • Facebook
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2011, 04:08:19 pm »
......and I will add,  if you get a strike and clip all the wool back so you think you have it sorted....and cannot see any more maggies.....you will be wrong!......if you then pour a drop of spot on into the surrounding fleece millions more will erupt as if from nowhere!!!!!
If I have to treat a case.....and we had a small back strike on a lamb this summer, I clip all the area well back then use spot on rubbed in to the area surrounding the strike, battles yellow fly ointment slapped on as it neutralises the acid excreted by the maggies and sooths the skin, and if sheep looking wobbly a jab of long acting antibiotic.

However please please...prevention is better than cure!
www.valgrainger.co.uk

Overall winner of the Devon Environmental Business Awards 2009

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: Fly strike
« Reply #14 on: October 24, 2011, 07:52:35 pm »
thanks I treat my sheep with either butox or versatrine another reason here is to deter BTV midges however as I understand things not all preventatives will kill maggots. As I can't buy crovect or click over here I wanted a product i can have on the shelf in the event that I do get a problem with flystrike specifically to kill maggots.
Ravelry Group: - Ouessants & Company

 

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