Unhappy Sheep - Biting Flies

[Jerry]

Doing my usual walk around this evening, lovely evening too, sunny, dry and warm.

Head into a field with dry ewes and nearly all of the sat tight to the ground and not wanting to get up.....as soon as they did they had their heads down tight to the ground or running around like maniacs to get away from flies, not that I could see the flies in question. Lots of kicking with their rear legs to their bellies and then sitting back down tight to the ground.

No sign of strike on any, they had Crovect 3 weeks ago.

Anything I can do?

 

[neilo]

Doing my usual walk around this evening, lovely evening too, sunny, dry and warm.

Head into a field with dry ewes and nearly all of the sat tight to the ground and not wanting to get up.....as soon as they did they had their heads down tight to the ground or running around like maniacs to get away from flies, not that I could see the flies in question. Lots of kicking with their rear legs to their bellies and then sitting back down tight to the ground.

No sign of strike on any, they had Crovect 3 weeks ago.

Anything I can do?

2ml of Spot-On on each ones head will keep them clear for a month or so. They will lose condition fast if they are being worried that much, which I saw in a bunch of shearling ewes in a field by a stream & wood last Autumn. Crovect, even on their heads, doesn't seem to last at all.

Lots of them about this year, I suppose as it's been warm & humid at times?

 

[RmfJ]

I would apply dysect. Crovect is a complete waste of time and money.

 

[Jerry]

2ml of Spot-On on each ones head will keep them clear for a month or so. They will lose condition fast if they are being worried that much, which I saw in a bunch of shearling ewes in a field by a stream & wood last Autumn. Crovect, even on their heads, doesn't seem to last at all.

Lots of them about this year, I suppose as it's been warm & humid at times?

This stuff?

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/schering-plough-coopers-spot-on

Funny enough this bunch are away from trees and standing water. A bunch of weaned lambs in an orchard next to a stream are un affected.

Joys of sheep!

 

[llamedos]

Doing my usual walk around this evening, lovely evening too, sunny, dry and warm.

Head into a field with dry ewes and nearly all of the sat tight to the ground and not wanting to get up.....as soon as they did they had their heads down tight to the ground or running around like maniacs to get away from flies, not that I could see the flies in question. Lots of kicking with their rear legs to their bellies and then sitting back down tight to the ground.

No sign of strike on any, they had Crovect 3 weeks ago.

Anything I can do?

Bot fly behavior that, crovect no good, treat with spot on as for head fly.

 

[neilo]

This stuff?

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/schering-plough-coopers-spot-on

Funny enough this bunch are away from trees and standing water. A bunch of weaned lambs in an orchard next to a stream are un affected.

Joys of sheep!

That's the stuff.

I've had a couple of bunches well away from water & woods being bothered as you describe, this year too.

I should also mention that it was @llamedos 's reply to my thread on the subject last year, that led me to use it.

 

[llamedos]

This stuff?

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/schering-plough-coopers-spot-on

Funny enough this bunch are away from trees and standing water. A bunch of weaned lambs in an orchard next to a stream are un affected.

Joys of sheep!

yes, noticed bot eggs on the mares legs tonight they are rotten little fury things, with sheep they head for their nasal passage it drives them quite mad.

 

[Jerry]

Thanks all. Shopping trip first thing.

 

[llamedos]

Worth noting, bot flies both horse and sheep only bother the ones out in the sun, never ever seen them be bothered in the shade. If you get any coughing and snotty noses come winter treat with wormer that covers bot.

 

[Keepers]

Yikes! That sounds like what I have got!
Brought a group of sheep home off a valley/hill with 3 rivers
The charmoise ewes are running around with heads down and then dropping to the floor lying down
8 of the others have a nasal dishcharge and are sneezing!

Been putting crovect on heads but it hasn't done a thing

So spot on to everything? Do I worm the sneezers?

 

[Clive Tee]

Will the SpotOn on the head deal with an established nasal botfly infestation? Or do you put some up the nostrils?

Or how else do you treat it?

_

 

[llamedos]

Will the SpotOn on the head deal with an established nasal botfly infestation? Or do you put some up the nostrils?

Or how else do you treat it?

_

spot on, on the head keeps the flies away as far as I have found. You certainly dont see the, what looks quite bizzare behaviour occurring. The fly does not land it continually hovers.

I assume, this behaviour is the sheep trying to keep below the level of what the flies hover at, they either lay really flat to the ground, looking awkward, or run about as if they are being chased by something you cant see, it does look odd, they flick their heads, and keep their noses down alternately, kicking and jumpy.

When the horses are bothered with the horse bot, they get the eggs on the front of the legs when the flies are hovering the horse rubs its nose on their legs and they are transfered to the nasal passage this way, on dark horses the eggs are easy to see, they look like tiny grass seeds, but they are very difficult to remove, not like normal fly eggs, you cant just brush them away. I am assuming because of the height from the ground the eggs appear on the horses, this is what height the flies fly at, it certainly correlates with the height of most sheep. And perhaps why the sheep when bothered stay tight to the ground, it is not a normal 'lay down position' it can only be described as if they are wanting to hide in the ground.

I think there is still only ivermectin that treats all stages, but sneezing is a sign of them having been got.

 

[llamedos]

Yikes! That sounds like what I have got!
Brought a group of sheep home off a valley/hill with 3 rivers
The charmoise ewes are running around with heads down and then dropping to the floor lying down
8 of the others have a nasal dishcharge and are sneezing!

Been putting crovect on heads but it hasn't done a thing

So spot on to everything? Do I worm the sneezers?

I would.
ivermectin.

I can only speak from what I have found, and coopers spot on seems to be the only thing that keeps them away. Normal dose for a ewe is 5ml between shoulder blades, I use 2ml on each poll between the ears. I have done this now for about 8 years. They have been trouble free.

 

[Jerry]

So treatment goes onto the top of the head?

Just got a bottle and instructions say between shoulders on back.

But need on head for the bit fly?

Many thanks for the information. That behaviour is exactly what I am seeing.

 

[llamedos]

Yes use it on the top of the head (treat it as 'head fly worry')

 

[Clive Tee]

One of my tups is behaving like this, trying to hide underground, so I've just SpotOn'd all of them on the head and shoulder blades. Ewes look OK, different fields though.

Think I'll drench them with Ivermectin as well, just going out to get some.

_

 

[Jerry]

Just done my tups. Managed to do them in the field as they came up close to see me when I went into the field.

Nice and easy.

Though the Charolaise ram not impressed and had a right go at me. Lol.

 

[llamedos]

They will be much happier now.

 

[llamedos]

ps I have tried to find a video of the behaviour to show to others so they recognise it, but to no avail. so if anyone can get a short phone video it would be great, and very useful to others. It is a hard behaviour to describe really, but once seen you wont forget, it look like they are going doolally.

 

[Jerry]

ps I have tried to find a video of the behaviour to show to others so they recognise it, but to no avail. so if anyone can get a short phone video it would be great, and very useful to others. It is a hard behaviour to describe really, but once seen you wont forget, it look like they are going doolally.

Will try later as some ewes away at some ground I will get to this evening.