[Old Shep]

Yes its a bad year up in Yorkshire, and can't get a dry enough spell to get clipped. Its also been a bad year for mastitis too, possibly for the same reason - what Mum would have termed "fellen" weather.

[Northlands]

I have had 2 ewes with it on their backs in the last few days. Shearer wasn't due to come for a few weeks as he was all booked up, but after a pleading phone call managed to fit them in today so hopefully won't have any more!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I have had 2 ewes with it on their backs in the last few days. Shearer wasn't due to come for a few weeks as he was all booked up, but after a pleading phone call managed to fit them in today so hopefully won't have any more!

Well done. When the shearers turned up it was all four of them and my mum and I had to pack the wool, we were both thinking this is a bit unfair, Anyway yesterday I checked the ewe who had flystrike and she had more, so i got them off and put more oil on her, I hope she makes it. 

[Solentfish]

Hi All,
Sorry, I have not posted very often on the forum - still relatively new to sheep only three years into the adventure, so mostly find answers to queries/ problems from previous posts.
We are in North Cornwall and this year has been much worse for fly strike so far. The sheep are only a mile from the coast and fairly high up, but the Atlantic breeze hasn't kept the flies away!
We have a mixed flock of Grey Face Dartmoor and Suffolk mules. We lamb early, mostly in February and indoors.
Last year we only had two with fly strike, both GFDs and fairly small patches. We didn't put any fly preventative on last year before shearing and it was much hotter than it has been so far this year.
This year we have had strike in both the GFDs and the Suffoks - 3 lambs with small patches, 2 GFD ewes, 2 Suffolk ewes. Mostly near the tail, majority (but not all) slightly mucky bums, although today was a new one as found first maggots in a sore foot.
Also we dagged all sheep and applied Crovect as a preventative back in April this year but it is right at the end of its active period now. Our first case of fly strike this year was in March when there was a hot couple of weeks - again a slightly mucky bottom. This alerted us to the potential problem and meant we applied the crovect.
So far I have been lucky and managed to spot them all when only just hatched so they haven't really broken the skin.
I have been surprized by the numbers with fly strike this year, although talking to sheep farming neighbours they have also had a lot of problems this year - so it would seem that the warm winter has helped the fly populations.
Roll on Monday - it is shearing day!!! 
Julie

[ewesaidit]

I've had two struck last week - neither had dirty wool - both struck on the shoulder on one side - both caught early.  I don't put any chemicals on them as I like to handle them (they like backrubs!!), but they are checked at least once a day and when I see minor changes in behaviour I have a closer look and clip the area and put Spot On on the affected area.     All sheared now though 

They are all happy bunnies contentedly sunbathing 

[Big Benny Shep]

its been awful, had quite a few, all lambs have been done with vetrizan and ewes golded and crovected if they still look a bit poopy, if the arent getting maggoted then the ewes are gettin black bag or mastitus.


At least its good grass growin weather!

[Hellybee]

Take a look see

http://www.eblex.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/evaluatingblowflytraps_201010_final_report.pdf


I'm gonna get some of the two best rated ones on this peice, pretty cheap they are too x


Thinking though how many and where, we got use of some land next door and the internal fencing in there is so bad they ll be range style in there, I suppose they could be tested in different areas, watch for areas of greatest foot fall etc I suppose lol. 


Got half flock of very clean lambs right by the house in a field that acts like a wind tunnel lol,  to spray in the next day or so, the early lambs up top have been clic ed , stupid me went and did them without protective clothing, and knocked myself sideways for a few days, don't do it, even if it s just for one...

I hate them, no good to man no beast,treating it brings us to the point of tears if it happens, I get stuck right in baz holds I clear, I wear latex gloves, but am otherwise very un squeamish about it, get those little bastards off, then a good do with antibiotic spray, a track of crovect using the rake close to the sheep, just beyond where they've struck to stop any others dead n they're tracks, gentle spray of crovect then over struck area not much it must be a shock to the system.  Within a day or two they are are getting back to normal.  We don't get it much at all, as I've said in other posts it's been over docked ewes that we ve found it on and then just a hand ful x

Shearing in the next week or so x

[Brucklay]

Noticed a few mucky lamb bums this week so thought it was time for a clean up and check them all - thank god - 3 of the 27 lambs had maggots.


Oh dear - never had it before - usually so windy here but not this year and one of the lambs was clean but when I felt his rear end I could feel damp so inspected - horrid, horrid, horrid. Luckily crovet on hand and was pleased to see the maggots suffer. A lot of careful clipping and removing and I'm pretty sure they are all gone. On 2 the skin was unbroken and the 3rd had 2 50 pence size wounds.


Poor wee lads but seem happier now that they are all cleaned up - thank goodness I did it today.

[twizzel]

We are in Cornwall and have been clear for the last couple of years but this year one of our lambs has had it badly on his shoulder blades on the week he was due for crovect again. Our neighbour also had a very bad case of it in one of her shetlands I blame the hot weather followed by severe muggy humid thunderstorms we've had this year 

[plumseverywhere]

Last week we had our second lot of it.  The sheep had been crovected about 3 weeks before as well.
I believe the ewe had suffered a dog attack (she was bleeding) but she had a huge patch across shoulders and down both front legs.  All treated and 100% better again now.
Also blaming the weather its so muggy and horrible.