Care should be taken while handling all veterinary products. The first step when dipping or applying any pour-ons to sheep should be protective clothing. Regardless of the choice of treatment, you should wear gloves and waterproof protective clothing, and in most cases respiratory masks and goggles for eye protection. While applying pour-ons is a relatively safe process, you should still ensure that there is no contact between the product and skin.

The biggest risk factor is when handling products containing organophosphate. These can pose a significant health risk when farmers are exposed to them. Full protective clothing including goggles and a respiratory mask with the appropriate filter should be worn. The dipping process requires the sheep to be submerged in the dip for a period of about one minute. For that reason, there is a high risk in terms of splash contaminations.

It is important to read the product details correctly. All products will outline the necessary safety parameters for handling each product and what to do if contamination occurs. After handling products you should always wash your hands and clothes. Do not be tempted to smoke or eat during the practice without adequate washing first.

Remember, if handling ewes in the weeks after dipping, chemical residues may still be present. Again protective clothing should be used along with gloves if sheep have to be handled for any reason. Make sure to store veterinary medicines in a secure store or a shed that can be locked and not accessed by children at all times when not in use.

Dispose of correctly

The dipping tank should also be emptied after use and should possess the capability to have a secure lid locked in place. Dip can be a harmful substance if not disposed of correctly. It is recommended that sheep dip be diluted at a ratio of 1:3 with dairy washings, water or slurry. Sheep dip should be spread at a rate not exceeding 5,000 litres/ha. Refer to the product details for more information.

Never handle sheep alone

It is all too often that we hear about the dangers of machinery and livestock on farms. While sheep are less dangerous than cattle, it is essential that you exhibit caution when handling sheep. They may be smaller and lighter than cattle, but for elderly farmers they still pose a serious risk where stressful handling during tasks such as dipping, dosing, drafting lambs or shearing are concerned.

Availing of help is highly recommended but where not possible make sure someone knows where you are and how long the task should take. Ewes and especially rams can pose a serious risk in terms of knocking a farmer over and in some cases rams can be aggressive if mixed with a new source of sheep or confined during handling.

How to avoid fly strike

The past week has seen a sharp increase in temperatures and with it a rise in fly activity. In the coming weeks, and right through the summer, flies become most active. Treating with an appropriate product can greatly cut down on the workload and prevent blowfly issues affecting animal performance. The main factors to consider when choosing the product to cope with blowfly is the length of prevention offered and how rain-fast the product used is.

Shearing will protect ewes to some extent by removing wool cover and dirty wool on the rear of the ewe, but you should avoid skin damage as damage caused by shearing may attract flies to the area and give grounds for an initial strike.

Sheep should be checked daily during periods of high risk to ensure that if fly strike has occurred that it is detected and treated quickly. Signs of fly strike are agitated sheep that walk quickly with tail swishing and/or nibbling at the affected area.

Prevention is the key

The term “prevention is better than cure” is very applicable here. All efforts should be made to try to ensure that a fly strike does not occur. Lambs will generally be at higher risk, especially those that are dirty around the tail end. Table 1 shows a list of products on the market for the control and treatment of fly strike, scab and ticks.

There are several factors to look at: cost, period of cover, application type, etc. Depending on the weights of the lambs, withdrawal periods can be critical.

Pour-ons

Ease of application is important for some farmers. CLiK, CLiKZiN and Vetrazin are the most common products used by farmers for that reason.

  • CLiK has a long withdrawal period of 40 days.
  • CLiKZiN is a more recent product and comes with a much shorter withholding period of seven days, which is much more useful as summer progresses for those with heavier lambs.
  • CLiKZin and Vetrazin have control periods of eight weeks and eight to 10 weeks respectively.
  • CLiK has a much longer control period of up to 16 weeks, but this comes with a longer withdrawal period. Because of this, CLiK may not be preferred for use on lambs from early lambing flocks that will have a shorter period of slaughter. Farmers more commonly use CLiK on younger or lighter lambs where the 40-day withdrawal period will not be an issue.
  • Youngs Vector is a pour-on product available on the market. It has a wider range of parasitic control. It is active against ticks, head flies and biting lice. It can also be used to prevent and treat fly strike. It has a control period for the prevention of fly strikes of up to eight weeks and comes with a withdrawal period of seven days.

    • Dipping

    Dips give the added benefit of having a broader spectrum of control with products offering cover against ticks, scab, lice and keds. Where farmers are considering dipping, they should be aware that the control period with dipping products is generally shorter than pour-ons. There are several methods of dipping available – plunge-dipping, shower and spray units. It is essential when mixing the dip solution to do so to the correct concentration and have extra on hand to allow for losses. It is also essential that dips are disposed of in the correct fashion as specified on the packaging.

    To read the full Sheep handling focus, click here.