[feldar]

I wonder if anyone else has experienced this.
We have had to trim a few sheep this year for fly strike, not many,  just a few and we were going through our drug records the other day to see who had had what. we also keep a little diary on our flystrike victims just to see if they are prone to getting it again. We were astonished to see that our ewes that had strike and this year's lambs that fell to it were all from the same family. Obviously we had used different rams on the ewes and their daughters over a few years but the ewe line they came from had all had strike, and last year we had 2 half sisters and their lambs with it.
We wondered if they may have a greasier fleece or maybe smell a bit different to the others, because we do spray all the flock but still always get a case or two that are not protected.
Other than being a complete freaky coincidence i can't see why these sheep would be more prone and wondered if any of you had a similar story.
We will look hard at removing these ewes from the flock. We've always culled hard for bad lambers or foot problems but i never thought to cull for strike before     until now

[Foobar]

I've only had strike in 3 lambs, but they have all been related - ewe lamb, then both her offspring the following year.  Nothing on her offspring this year though, but then I've had a very clean year - clean bums all around.

[landroverroy]

 An interesting concept Feldar. Are the affected ewe lines from any particular breed?
Our shearer this year said that certain breeds are more prone than others, but I can't remember which ones he mentioned.

[Bramblecot]

We have 15 ewes at home at the moment, 7 GFD, 8 related Shetlands of which only one is black.  Guess which one got a touch of strike last week.

[woollyval]

When I had Dorset Downs it was always the same family that had a small shoulder strike or got cast on their backs......

[feldar]

An interesting concept Feldar. Are the affected ewe lines from any particular breed?
Our shearer this year said that certain breeds are more prone than others, but I can't remember which ones he mentioned.

Yes they are Hampshire Downs. i don't think they are more prone than other breeds, not that i know off anyway. We don't keep many ram lambs back due to being in a non- sheep area so i don't know if we kept any from that line if they would be as affected.
These are very prone to shoulder strike so that would suggest some kind of pheromone being produced to draw the flies in.

[landroverroy]

 

We have 15 ewes at home at the moment, 7 GFD, 8 related Shetlands of which only one is black.  Guess which one got a touch of strike last week.  

The black one?
Apparently research has shown that black animals are more visible to flies than white ones.

[Mallows Flock]

My shearer told me at shearing time that one of my sheep and her daughters would need cliking early and late as they were going to be much more susceptible to strike! I queried why and he said that it's because they are particularly greasy down their backs (evident when sheared back hard) and flies go mad for this. they are also more susceptible to getting cast.
So it could explain why certain sheep out of whole flocks are the only ones to be repeatedly affected and why it follows in families! 

[SteveHants]

We have 15 ewes at home at the moment, 7 GFD, 8 related Shetlands of which only one is black.  Guess which one got a touch of strike last week.  

The black one?
Apparently research has shown that black animals are more visible to flies than white ones.

Don't tell the Black Welsh Mountain breed society that - they just ran a huge piece in "Sheep Farmer" about the breed making claims that black animals got struck less than white ones..... 


And, in general - its amazing what has a genetic component, so I wouldn't be surprised if it is the case that sheep prone to strike are related.

[omnipeasant]

Interesting topic that I will watch for info. I can understand a sheep with a greasy back beingf more prone to getting cast becuse if this is itchy it might be rolling to relive the itch. The question for me is what is causing the greasiness? is it genetic or environmental. Perhaps the ewe and her lamb frequent the same places, eat the same plants etc.

[Rosemary]

We've only had two sheep with fly strike - Jura one year and her daughter, Lyra the next 

[Mallows Flock]

Interesting topic that I will watch for info. I can understand a sheep with a greasy back beingf more prone to getting cast becuse if this is itchy it might be rolling to relive the itch. The question for me is what is causing the greasiness? is it genetic or environmental. Perhaps the ewe and her lamb frequent the same places, eat the same plants etc.

Omni...the shearer seemed to be of the opinion it's genetic.  All my sheep run together eat the same etc... and out of 42 in the field currently it is only her and her daughter who are grease-laden. They also have huge, super thick/dense fleeces, so maybe the genetics involved in the fleece are keeping the grease from rising up enough to disperse hence the greasy back maybe?

[janeislay]

Very interesting observations.  I always thought flies were attracted to black animals more than white ones (horses particularly) and invariably used to wear a white shirt when riding at midge-raiding times !
However we've had a couple of white lambs with flystrike recently.
Worryingly, we also had a tup lamb with no sign of maggots whatsoever.  But as it was clearly not thriving, the men searched more thoroughly and found that they'd bored in beside the bone - tho nothing visible externally at all.  I thought maggots only ate dead flesh ?  These were big beasties - are they from a different sort of fly ?  The lamb's mother and brother are fine and healthy.

[feldar]

worryingly though i don't think these lambs were particuarly more greasy than any others. When i say lambs, i am talking about 6 to 8 month old sheep cause we lamb December. It's seems they only get it when they are more grown up with us not as baby lambs.
I can't say i was particuarly looking at the fleece texture it's some thing i will look for in the future if we keep any of this line.
I was thinking more along a kind of smell than grease? mainly because the ewes that had it were shorn, so could a genetic type of smell that attracts flies be present.

[Fronhaul]

I am almost scared to say I have never yet had a BWM with flystrike.........  and I don't think from what he was saying the other week when we were over there that it is a problem that Edward Williams has encountered either. 

I don't have the article to hand but I am almost certain that no claims were made by Edward on behalf of the other black breeds.  Anyone who has had the pleasure of learning about BWM's from him will know that he is not in the habit of making extravagant claims, especially in relation to breeds about which he has no personal knowledge.
 
I do think wool type may have an effect.