[Bramblecot]

All ours (34) shorn yesterday - hooray  - shearer is a hero working in that heat  .  One had a small patch of fly strike near her tail - red and sore but no maggots yet - and she was the only one with a dirty bum.  We try to keep them tidy and dry but in future we will be doing a lot more dagging and crutching out even if they look rather strange  .  Last year we put garlic flavoured mineral licks in the field in the summer - they were not as popular as the usual licks as they do whiff.  Enough to keep anything away 

[Remy]

I'm desperate to get mine shorn, I've had two with flystrike and will try and get them all in tomorrow when I've got help so I can at least give them all a good check over and dag them.  Trouble is some of mine have such thick fleeces it's easy to miss a patch - I've done that before!  I got our ram in and clipped him on his neck where he was struck, looked all over and couldn't find anything else.  Then noticed a few days later he was looking uncomfortable again - and he was struck on the shoulders  . 

[Fleecewife]

I think it must be easy to miss patches of strike in a dense-wooled sheep, until it's got so bad that it shows wet.  I wonder how early on they start giving off the characteristic smell...I know it might look a bit odd (but who cares  ) but perhaps sniffing over you sheep would help find any early strike?     What does everyone think?

[plumseverywhere]

I do sniff my sheep    seriously. Three times a day at the moment! I'm lucky I've only got 5! I think the neighbours must think I'm a bit loopy as I'm bending over peering under the sheep's bellies, round their bums and generally acting deranged. Better to be safe though!

[jaykay]

 


Just had mine in and did the ewes and lambs with Crovect amongst other things, ewes as Fleecewife describes. Need to do the hoggs and tups tomorrow, then all safe for a while hopefully.


If flystrike smells, presumably dogs could be trained to pick it up, as they do drugs and some illnesses.

[trying]

Hi, what a day, we have been trying to get our sheep shorn for about 3 weeks but have not managed, so because the weather in Lincoln has been so hot we have started to do the job ourselves, first time sheep owners and panicing about fly strike. Last night we managed to get them into a small holding area and today we started, we only have 5 to do but we have only had them a few weeks and they have obviously not been done for some time!
We have one with fly strike, gutted, but after my husband had shorn her we were able to see for the first time how short  her tail is, discussingly so that her vulver is totally uncovered and she has no protection from the flys at all. I am going to make her a fringe type thing similar to what horses wear over their faces and attaching so that when she flicks her tiny tail sump it will swipe the flys, sounds crazy I know but I don,t know what else to do for her.
Ann

[Remy]

Well I've just spent an hour shearing my Zwartbles ram, I knew he was struck because he started rubbing his backside and trying to bite it, and there were loads of flies around his rear end.  He has an unbelievably thick fleece, there were no wet patches but when I started shearing he was struck all around his rump and hind legs, poor boy.  He was amazingly good, just stood tied up quietly and then didn't put up a struggle when we sat him down to do his belly and private parts!  He's also so easy to handle because he walks on a halter.  My Ryeland ram would not have been so amenable!


I decided to clip all of him not just dag, because I couldn't tell where there might be more maggots and didn't want to risk missing any.


Hats off to these Aussie shearers who can do a sheep in 2 mins!! 

[jaykay]

Trying, that sounds like a solution.


It makes me very angry people who dock sheep so short - there's no b#%^$€* reason for it and as you have found, it causes problems 


Well done for shearing him Remy, at least you've caught it now.

[Haylo-peapod]

If your sheep have been struck you may want to use Coopers Spot On to be sure all the maggots evacuate. I've found it very effective but just remember the withdrawal period is very long.

[jaykay]

Or treat the area with Crovect - also good 

[plt102]

Two of ours were flystruck when they were shorn yesterday. Caught just in time by the look of it and a good spray of maggot killer got rid of them. Will be shearing in April next year and providing a warm stable if the weather turns. Don't want to risk them getting struck again.
We were thinking about doing a late shear at the end of summer, instead of just dagging (on our GFD's). We got caught out with flystrike at end of October last year, even though they were dagged as the flies laid their eggs in between their shoulders instead. Has anyone done an Autumn shear on sheep if they have shelter but aren't kept inside?

[Hellybee]

Reading all your posts intently    We are crutching today, taking 5 mins whilst B goes n checks the new waterers hes put in....we ve not found strike yet, but yes have some mucky ones and some very clean ones but all having a (rather unflattering) haircut all the same.    Fleece wife as always you provide such useful great information, we have used the perineum only crovect for mucky ones only, our shearer wont touch a crovected sheep for at least 6-8 weeks after treatment, and we cant go that long this year...but saying that the sap hasnt risen in many of them...so he may still add weeks on for that...glad we going for the scalped bums even if it does take the next few days, plus theres the bonus that they not dropping off nasties on theyre next pasture.   
It may sound odd but i think strike smells like my late grampas old  potting shed, the smell of gardening pellets and what not....yes.. i did say odd 

[Small Farmer]

Went down to apply the Clik today to the flock and found our best gimmer down and nearly out.  Struck on her side and buried under the wool of course.


She is very very ill and may not make it.  We've
- washed the damage in Hibiscrub
- Treated her with Crovect
- sprayed the wound with oxy-tetracycline: then took her to the vet who
- gave her IM antibiotic
- and a SC anti-inflammatory
- and a pro-rumen drench
Fingers crossed for Stacey.


None of the others were touched.  All have been Clik'd

[SallyintNorth]

SF, so sorry to hear that Stacey got caught before you'd Clik'd the flock       Wishing her well - we have seen some apparently miraculous recoveries, so  she'll pull though.

[lachlanandmarcus]

Went down to apply the Clik today to the flock and found our best gimmer down and nearly out.  Struck on her side and buried under the wool of course.


She is very very ill and may not make it.  We've
- washed the damage in Hibiscrub
- Treated her with Crovect
- sprayed the wound with oxy-tetracycline: then took her to the vet who
- gave her IM antibiotic
- and a SC anti-inflammatory
- and a pro-rumen drench
Fingers crossed for Stacey.


None of the others were touched.  All have been Clik'd

Poor Stacey but also poor you SF! :-((((!
I would be hopeful tho, our old ram got really really bad flystrike - nothing in the morning and almost at deaths door when we checked again in the evening! He had it over more of his body than your ewe in terms of broken skin, was anaemic as they had sucked so much blood and couldnt really rise to his feet. Vet wasnt sure at all he would make it and it took about a fortnights nursing care indoors to get him right (plus anitbiotics etc) but it was amazing how completely and quickly he recovered. He lived on to father several more generations of lambs!
We think he got it from the geese pecking his wool out and making a number of small wounds all over the place. A couple of the wethers when we checked had small wounds which were on the verge of strike.
You will know Stacey is feeling better when she stops being easier to get hold of to treat.