[lou995]

Just a reminder to keep eyes peeled for fly strike!

I found out the hard way tonight!
Ewe been particularly itchy for a few days around neck, on first inspection i couldn't find anything. 36hrs later i tip her up again to find several patches of maggots!! under her neck and on her back slightly in front of her shoulders! Tried brushing with water, got rid of a few  got the clippers on her in the end and gave her some very stylish bald patches and some purple spray highlights! Thankfully only 1 small wound no bigger than a 5p and only a layer of skin deep! Hopefully got the worst off her! She certainly looked comfier!
Why she got them i have no idea! Dagged all ewes 2 weeks ago and she wasn't dirty in any other places! 
Slighlty worried now as other ewes have slightly dried dirt on fleeces, so worried they will be next targets!
what can i use on the ewes as a treatment/preventative bearing in mind i will have to get them shorn in the next month or so!

Thank god for a tractor with great work lights and a co-operative ewe!
Keep your eyes peeled!

Lou
(sheep! who'd have 'em) 

[Bionic]

Lou, thanks for the warning. Its warming up here now so I am looking out for any odd behaviour.
 
Because of shearing I didn't want to put anything nasty on the fleece so have sprayed mine with Dyna-mite, recommended by someone on here. Its not too expensive so thought it was worth a go. You dillute it with water and it makes lots. They need doing quite frequently with it I think but its very easy to do.
I can't vouch for its effectiveness yet though.

[Fleecewife]

Where a sheep has already been struck, I would use Crovect in spite of her being unshorn.  You would then let the shearer know and he/she could decide what to do - only some are sensitive to such products.  The fleece would need to be discarded, but the animal is worth more than the fleece.
 
With fly strike, the maggots can move with alacrity, making off into the fleece to start munching again somewhere else, so just washing them off isn't effective - you will be almost certain to miss some.
 
For the rest of the adult flock, just keep up the careful surveyance until shearing time.  Lambs should be treated now with whichever product you will be using for the ewes.  They won't be shorn until next year and tend to be more susceptible to flystrike.

[EP90]

First year with lambs so paranoid about everything !!  Googled for Dyna-mite but didn’t find anything relevant, haven’t got a link have you?

Came across this below and wondered if anyone had comments to their effectiveness?  Adding Garlic seems simple enough if it is advantageous.  Wondered about ‘wild garlic’ as it’s in every hedgerow at the moment.  Any thoughts on the red top fly catcher around feed or sleeping areas ?

“put out fly traps to reduce the population (www.redtopflycatcher.co.uk), add garlic granules to the ewes’ feed or use a bucket lick with garlic (www.brinicombe.co.uk).”

[Bionic]

This is a link to the Dynamite stuff
http://www.amazon.co.uk/doghealth-Dynamite-insect-repellent-250ml/dp/B003UYXE7E/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&qid=1368962242&sr=8-26&keywords=fly+repellant

[henchard]

In the old days we used to use dilute Jeyes fluid to kill maggots. Works pretty well but has no long lasting effect. Many people recommend 'Spot On' for killing maggots on sheep


http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Coopers-Spot-On/productinfo/SPOTON/

[thenovice]

treat them with clik in the spring, and then clik or crovect 3 weeks after shearing. crovect to treat the actual strike. Its getting a bit humid now 

[EP90]

Thanks for the info. and links.  Doesn’t seem as though any one has used garlic granules as a deterrent so I’ll give it a miss.

[Cactus]

Can't help with the flystrike preps but can highly recommend Red Top fly catchers - work beautifully around my horses and poultry. I honestly wouldn't be without them anywhere animals are kept.

[Foobar]

I've used garlic granules.  No idea if they were effective but I didn't get any strike.  Plenty of tub suppliers now offer a garlic bucket and claim it offers some benefit.  Sheep would certainly graze wild garlic given half the chance.
I also use Red Top Fly Catchers too, brilliant, if a little stinky . (and expensive, I wish they would sell the refill versions in this country!)

[Marches Farmer]

My first line of defence is to put the sheep in the windiest field - easy for us, on a hill top. Nights are still quite cool here in the Welsh Marches, which we hope will hold them off from breeding for a while.