This is a subscriber-only article
The humid weather over the last week and higher-risk season for blowfly strike has greatly increased the incidence of flystrike. While many farmers will be well aware of the risk in lambs, there have also been lots of reports of flystrike in hoggets and ewes that were shorn early in the season. It is worth being mindful of this and taking the necessary precautions of dagging dirty tail-ends and applying pour-on or dipping. The drop in temperatures may reduce flystrike activity but it won’t eliminate it. Be careful to follow manufacturers’ guidelines as some pour-on products do not possess treatment properties and therefore it is important to carry out treatment first. Where a serious strike has occurred, it is important to monitor animals and apply an appropriate spray to reduce the risk of secondary infection.
FEC laboratories
Last week’s article on the sheep welfare scheme omitted two laboratories in error that are approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for analysing faecal egg counts. The two labs are Paralabs, Unit 2 Manderville, St Patrick’s Street, Portumna, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, which can be contacted by email at info@paralabs.ie or by calling 087-2931167, and Oldcastle Laboratories, Cogan Street, Oldcastle, Co Meath, which can be contacted by emailing info@oldcastlelabs.ie or on 049-8541160.
SHARING OPTIONS: