Author Topic: Fly Strike (Read 23780 times)

Herdygirl · « **Reply #30 on:** July 20, 2013, 10:46:53 pm »

Quote from: SallyintNorth on July 15, 2013, 12:55:32 am

Don't forget to check the feet of lambs that are lame and/or strucken. Just had our first maggoty foot tonight . He feels better now, poor wee fella.

yea we found one tonight, must have caught his foot somewhere, he was off and eating within minutes of OH treating him. we look for flies hanging round...is a sure sign.

Raine · « **Reply #31 on:** July 21, 2013, 08:00:24 pm »

Just found one of my lambs had gone down with fly strike, hidden in the long grass. I'm not sure if he had been injured first as there was a lot of flesh missing from his left back leg. Not good. Hubby had fed the sheep this morning and we had been busy getting the trailer back yesterday evening, so didn't go round them all last night.
Hubby has said it is my fault, which is normal... but really annoyed with myself for not spotting it. All the other sheep seem fine, no odd behaviour and no fly's hanging around. We treated the sheep not long after shearing (around early june) but obviously, we needed to get it done again. Think that will be tomorrow nights job.

Blinkers · « **Reply #32 on:** July 21, 2013, 10:48:57 pm »

Quote from: Raine on July 21, 2013, 08:00:24 pm

Just found one of my lambs had gone down with fly strike, hidden in the long grass. I'm not sure if he had been injured first as there was a lot of flesh missing from his left back leg. Not good. Hubby had fed the sheep this morning and we had been busy getting the trailer back yesterday evening, so didn't go round them all last night.
Hubby has said it is my fault, which is normal... but really annoyed with myself for not spotting it. All the other sheep seem fine, no odd behaviour and no fly's hanging around. We treated the sheep not long after shearing (around early june) but obviously, we needed to get it done again. Think that will be tomorrow nights job.

DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP ABOUT IT......it happens and it happens FAST and before you know it. You have however spotted it and now you are able to treat. WELL DONE BOTH OF YOU - its a horrible thing for the sheep and equally and horrible for you to have to deal with. Best of luck and hugs from me as I know first hand how I felt when it happened to me years ago. x

Raine · « **Reply #33 on:** July 22, 2013, 07:20:10 am »

Lamb didn't make it through the night.

Quite a blow as we only had four lambs from five ewes and it's our first year.
Will definitely be rounding them all up tonight for a spray.

Bionic · « **Reply #34 on:** July 22, 2013, 09:37:06 am »

Raine, that is very sad. I have 4 lambs from 5 ewes too and know how devastated I would be if one died.

for you

in the hills · « **Reply #35 on:** July 22, 2013, 02:27:48 pm »

Sorry Raine

Herdygirl · « **Reply #36 on:** July 22, 2013, 10:40:03 pm »

O heck. It's awful!

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #37 on:** July 23, 2013, 09:05:37 pm »

Things to look out for: small, sudden movements, trying to rub head, shoulders or tail against a fencepost or similar, putting head down suddenly then moving off, trying to nibble at foot or tail, flies following an animal, separated from flock, doesn't come to the bucket, damp-looking patch on fleece. If a sheep has flystrike in the foot check the place on its body where the foot goes when it's at rest - they often transfer across. Our present regime seems to work and we haven't seen flystrike for many years. Before that we used to find the maggots then get out the shearing kit and shear a large circle around them, moving inwards to stop maggots escaping into the fleece. We used the traditional mix in these parts - a 1 litre washing up liquid bottle with a centimetre of Jeyes fluid in the bottom, filled up with water. This irritates the maggots enough to make them try and exit the wound as well as cleans the wound itself. No stronger, though, as it would then be too painful for the sheep. 5ml of Alamycin LA for anything but the smallest area of strike.

Pedwardine · « **Reply #38 on:** July 23, 2013, 10:18:50 pm »

Really sensible suggestion about working your way in to the area where the maggots are. Always in such a hurry to get shot of the horrible things and I worry about any escaping either into the nearby fleece or the grass. Thanks for that MF.
Really concerned about flies at the mo with thunderstorms and the humidity that goes with them. Perfect conditions for blowflies. Be extra vigilant guys and check any sheep behaving even slightly odd.

Remy · « **Reply #39 on:** July 24, 2013, 01:04:48 am »

I've had to deal with flystrike every year for the last five years, and have lost a couple to it. One ram even got it between his toes! This year I have been extra vigilant and have Crovected all of them at crucial times, so far (touch wood) I haven't had one case.

in the hills · « **Reply #40 on:** July 24, 2013, 08:46:57 am »

Thank you MF ..... a really useful description of what to look for and wouldn't have thought about starting with a large circle and moving in, not in my panic to treat.

Scared to speak too soon but not had any yet since starting with the sheep and so always worried that I won't spot in time.

With weather how it is, got them in at the weekend and treated all flock except lambs with crovect and also did thorough dag of any that needed it .... most were spotless.

Lambs are not that big and feel less than 12.5kg .... is there anything that I can use on these to protect?
I have one with a slight limp at the minute but can't catch her to check

..... hoping its a pull from their butting antics and not strike. She doesn't seem to have got any worse (spotted a couple of days ago).

jendick182 · « **Reply #41 on:** September 20, 2013, 10:24:58 pm »

So I bought four Whitefaced Woodland sheep last year after years of keeping goats, and today I found a downed lamb born in May who didn't run over to see me, and just wanted to lie down the whole time - I knew something was wrong.

I have heard many people talking of flystrike but had no idea how horrendous it is.. she has a huge area of sores across her back and belly, funnily enough not by her back end, and had a lot of small maggots burrowing into her. The offending fly was dead in the top of her fleece.

Me and my friend (who is more experienced than me) cut away the hair, pulled as many of the maggots out and away as we could find with meticulous inspection, we sprayed the big open wound areas with purple spray. I never imagined these things would be so horrendous - they were practically eating her alive, and as I had my first year of lambs and only got 4 - 2 ewes/2 rams, she was my best. I am absolutely gutted. We are planning to take off the rest of the fleece tomorrow to be sure.

They've been regularly vaccined and worms but I'd like to know your thoughts about medication treatment:
Do you lambivac all your sheep lambs and adults annually? Or just lambs?
When and what do you use to prevent flystrike?
When and what do you use for worming?
Is it wrong to fleece the lambs in the first 6 months if you suspect flystrike - will this destroy their fleece?

For her I will get an antibiotic in the morning from the vet, and some of the products you suggested from my local store like the maggot oil, and a pour on. Which one is best? Is there anything else I can do? The dressing doesn't seem like a viable option as the area is so big?

I am just praying she makes it through the night - she did look better after we had treated her, and we've put her in a closed stock trailer with hay/straw. I am a bit heartbroken - as much as I thought I'd be super tough smallholder. Kicking myself that I could have noticed it earlier, and I haven't prepared well enough for it. If she makes it through the night without dying from the shock of it, then we might have half a chance.

Your help would be much appreciated..

A very apprehensive Jen x

Pedwardine · « **Reply #42 on:** September 20, 2013, 11:19:36 pm »

Jen, haven't tried it myself but have heard tell that some hairspray works on the maggots if it's an emergency situation which it sounds like it is. Purple spray won't kill them and it's very unlikely (sorry

) that you'll have got all the little s***s out. You need a solution which irritates them enough to exit the wound(s). Either that or try the Jeyes/washing up liquid solution as mentioned earlier in this thread. Waiting may result badly....

Anke · « **Reply #43 on:** September 21, 2013, 07:46:09 am »

Nettex do a good flystrike spray, it gets the maggots out/kills them and repels any further flies coming down to lay. Good to have in your pocket for when you find a lamb/adult down with it. I get it from the vet, not sure if it is prescription. One bottle usually lasts the summer, I only had one this summer anyway and still using last year's bottle.

The best to treat sheep is really to use Clik, quite early on for the lambs a little later (about 2 - 3 weeks post shearing) on the adults. I do the lambs twice per summer, initially in June then again in mid-August, usually when they get their second shot of Heptavac.

Pedwardine · « **Reply #44 on:** September 21, 2013, 09:28:56 am »

Concur with Anke. The NetTex stuff is excellent. Drives the little buggers out AND kills them. Only about £5-7 a can and lasts for ages. You can get it online if no-one local has it.