[Nethermoor Pigs]

My sheep are due to be sheared early to mid June (that's when the shearer said would be best - they are Zwartbles) and I will probably use pour on after that.  Is there any other reasonably cheap method to use in the meantime - saw a nasty green fly crawling today so dagged and checked, nothing yet but want to be careful.  I only have one ewe and two lambs so needs to be economical!

[Marches Farmer]

If they're this year's lambs will they need shearing?  If not, you could use Clik or Crovect, depending on their age.  In the case of the ewe, if you've dagged her thoroughly I'd be inclined to make up some diluted Jeyes1:10 Jeyes:water and pour it over her rear end to confuse the enemy.  Shearers don't like handling fleeces that have recently been treated, with good reason.  Once sheared the ewe won't need a pour on until the fleece is about 1cm long - shorter than that the flies don't usually lay as there's nothing for the maggots to cling to.  Dependong on your final shearing dte and the weather you could get away with Crovect rather than Clik - in our area flies aren't normally a problem after mid September, so you just need to get them covered until the danger's passed in your area.

[Anke]

Just dag her backend, and keep your eyes peeled until shearing. Watch lambs too - mucky bums are the most likely place for maggots, so avoiding those and/or treating straight away is the most important.

Sheep also get flystrike in their feet, if they step into muck, boys on the underside of their belly too.

You don't want to treat with anything chemical (as a preventative that is) now, as shearer will not want to be exposed to those chemicals. Withdrawal on them is quite long, certainly more than a month.

You can get a flystrike spray (from the vets) which is ideal size to carry in your pocket when you are inspecting your sheep, and you can then treat in the field straight away. Kills maggots and also soothes the skin. Good stuff.

[Nethermoor Pigs]

Thanks will try the Jeyes method.

[Bramblecot]

A friend, who will not use chemicals , swears by tea tree oil.  She buys it wholesale and sprays it on as a preventative and pours it neat over any areas that have eggs or strike.  Claims it is fantastic.  I don't know - just offering another idea.

I use Crovect on my sheep after shearing but we have another 3 weeks to go.  And as for the ones going to shows... .  Might try the Jeyes fluid.

[Bionic]

I use Dyna-mite pre shearing for the ewes. Its supposed to be for horses and dogs but someone on here recommended it last year. It costs about £12-13 for a bottle but you dilute it so it lasts for ages.
Needs to be done weekly though, although I suspect for one ewe that won't be much of a problem

[plumseverywhere]

Last year we had a wether struck a couple of weeks before the shearer was due. I trimmed away the affected area and a margin just beyond, the maggots were quite newly hatched, scraped them away with the gentle side of the dagging shears and then treated with Battles maggot oil.  Have to say I was really impressed with it! its soothing and also you can see the maggots falling off (mwahaha!!) its also a deterrant (but obviously not in the same league as crovect would be)  with only having so few sheep you will probably find it very easy to keep on top of it 

[Ladygrey]

I was going to wait until after shearing, my sheep were all going to go in with the farms and be sheared in June

However Saturday one of my ewes went down with flystrike, electric shears arent working.... so Yesterday I finally finished, clipping them all by hand just got two rams left to do, they are not the easiest to handle so I am leaving them till next weekend to get more of a rise in thier wool

Off to cancel the shearer now....

[Bionic]

Just noticed blue bottles today. Now I'm worried

[shep53]

Not bluebottles they are a  about 75% of the size and an iridescent green, if you google you can find some good pictures

[Bionic]

Ah, I thought bluebottles and greenbottles were the same thing. I will google, thanks

[Hellybee]

We going through nigh on 270 ewes and lambs this week, lambs will have proper treat ewes if spotless will be left and if there's any ewes a bit dirty/ wet they will have a bit of a do just on the backend plus a little dag. Not shearing til July so plenty of weeks in hand x

[Hellybee]

Then they go up next door which has been rested for a few months, we ll be without a doubt chucking in lots of mag buckets !! 

[Emmam]

Just had two cases of flystrike this week - we are in Hampshire and the mix of rain and then warmth.....

[plt102]

I always crovect at time if heptovac booster 4 weeks before lambing and this seems to keep them going until shearing time. Hope everyone has an incident free spring x