[Jacob-list] Ivermectin and synthetic pyrethroids

[Betty Berlenbach]

Actually, with flystrike, I just catch the sheep, put on rubber gloves, give 
the sheep a haircut, spill hydrogen peroxide on the area in question and 
pick out the maggots as they come to the surface.  It works...time 
consuming, perhaps, but it is pretty easy to get them all, especially if you 
find it quickly, and I spend time during flystrike season each day looking 
at the sheep, for telltale signs. (And I MEAN tellTAIL signs: I have found 
that one of the advantages to keeping tails on is that if they should get 
flystrike, which has only happened here three times, once without tail, two 
with...the tail gets a ring around it of dirty fleece, below where you'd 
crop it, were it cropped, and each time, it was flystrike caught early.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "gordon johnston" <gordon at westergladstone.fsnet.co.uk>
To: <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2006 9:09 AM
Subject: [Jacob-list] Ivermectin and synthetic pyrethroids


> Ivermectin is lethal to invertebrates. It is an organophosphate and was I
> believe developed in Israel as a by-product of nerve gas research. If you
> give it to your animals, the dung is toxic to ground-dwelling beetles and
> earthworms. Its use is not permitted in organic production here in the UK.
> My neighbours use ivermectin to worm their cattle and sheep. They have 
> very
> few earthworms and no moles. We do not use it and have millions of
> earthworms and lots of moles, 21 trapped in the last week.
> Pyrethroids are based on the insecticidal chemicals produced by pyrethrum
> daisies, but are all produced synthetically in chemical plants. They do 
> not
> have the same dreadful effects on humans that ivermectin can have but they
> are phenomenally toxic to aquatic life. Disposal of pyrethroid-based dips 
> is
> problematical.
> There is no easy answer to controlling flies and lice on sheep. Each will
> have adverse effects on the environment. I would suggest Vetrazine 
> (approved
> for use in organic systems) which prevents maggots developing or Crovect
> (not approved) which kills maggots on sheep. Either is preferable to
> watching sheep suffer from flystrike.
> Gordon in Scotland.
>
>
>
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