[Jacob-list] fly strike

[Brenda]

Since this topic is including frequent mentions of fly strike... we just had our first case last year (docked sheep, slightly poopy rear from lush grass in spring but not real bad). I hope we NEVER NEVER NEVER have it again. We sheared the ewe immediately so those maggots couldn't hide in nearby fleece and did lots of wound cleaning. We had some diatomaceous earth on hand, and used that a couple times a day. It really helped a lot- the maggots would writhe and drop off the sheep when the DE coated them. The sheep got cellulitis in the wound, and I think went septic. Add antibiotics to wound care and DE. I have never seen a sicker sheep live and she is about to have her first lamb. So all's well whose (hind) end is well! 

Brenda
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Betty Berlenbach 
  To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 5:10 AM
  Subject: [Jacob-list] docked tails


  Ditto here; I never dock tails.  In the 3 cases of flystrike I've had since I got sheep 15 years ago, one was on a crossbred's back, no where near the tail.  Two were on animals around the tail end: one with tail, one without...The one WITH tail developed a telltale (no pun intended) ring around it very early on (and I've checked with others who've seen the same thing) so that I caught the flystrike almost immediately. The one without the tail did not have a way to send this message and it took longer to find the flystrike, and hence, more damage and more trouble digging out the maggots.  I would expect that possibly in the south, where maybe the season for flystrike is longer, and where there are more parasites, maybe there's a reason to dock tails, so be it.  But here in Vermont there sure is no reason to do dock tails.  
   Betty, in Vermont,who now has a blog, thanks to help from Walter and Linda.  See Betty's blog at http://sheepwoman.wordpress.com.


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