[colliewoman]

It's one of those things which depends totally on ones situation.  With not too many sheep, a milder product works fine, but for large flocks, especially when out on the hill, something like Clik is lifesaving for thousands of sheep.  It doesn't need to be reapplied over the summer ( each time means a huge gather to bring in the flock) , and it's pretty much fail safe.   In an ideal world, all our flocks would still be close-shepherded and observed all the time, but it doesn't happen except in the most unusual cases.
Citronella might keep the occasional passing fly away, and you should avoid flystrike with frequent observation of a smallish flock, physically handling them and keeping them clean.  But if there is any chance of missing an attack, then my personal view is that fly strike is too awful to risk.  I use the mildest product that works in my situation and I hope never to have to resort to Clik.

Thanks Fleecewife!
I do tend to worry overly, so it is interesting and reassuring to hear others views. I also forget that not everyone has it as easy as me with a few pet sheep and no farm to run! I would die of worry if I had hundreds of the little buggers

[Remy]

It's interesting to read of peoples' different experiences of different products.  If you can't shear for three months with Clik, I will stick to Crovect which has always cured all cases of flystrike except the one lamb I lost which was too far gone.  I wouldn't want to not shear my sheep before the hot weather (not that we get much!).

Re. citronella, it has never been very effective for me - it is the main ingredient in many horse fly products but I just see the buggers settle back on them the moment I've sprayed!    Having had the cases I've had with my sheep, there is no way citronella would have done anything - and I don't have a large flock (this year is the most I've ever had!).

In my experience the flies can strike whether or not your sheep is dirty - most of the cases I had the sheep were not scouring and had clean fleeces.

[colliewoman]

Thanks Remy, thats interesting.
I wonder then if in fact some breeds are less likely to get struck, or are able to clean themselves or flick flies away or something?
Mine have always been shetlands of shetland crosses and like I said as yet not one case?
The citronella I used was home mixed form a bottle of essentail oil, but I haven't alwways used it and I don't want to rely on luck forever

[SteveHants]

I too, like vetrazin.

But I believe they have stopped making it, so I shall have to look at other products this year.

With Wilts, preventing strike is relatively easy - ignore people who say they 'don't' get struck, they do, it just doesn't happen very often. Like all horned sheep they have glands at the base of their horns, so a teeny squirt there and a little bit around the back end (not a full arc like the instructions say) works. They are only really likely to get struck in warm autumns, the fleece really is too short when it has just been shed.

My wilts halfbreds are also less prone, and I tend only to shear a stripe down their backs. they still get a whack of vetrazin though.

[Small Farmer]

Theres another one from Novartis called Clikzin which came out a year or so ago and is slightly less toxic for handlers and has a 7 day meat withdrawal period.  But it's effective for only 8 weeks not 16.

Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice cos there's no easy answers. 

[Crofterloon]

Thanks everybody I found this an interesting thread

[lee.arron]

crovect worked for me  in a day after 1 bad case so will stick with it for the duration

[Small Farmer]

Have you read the other thread on this though?