TREATING BLOWFLY STRIKE IN EWES

Te Ao Hou, October 1958, Page 49

TREATING BLOWFLY STRIKE IN EWES In districts where crutch strike causes trouble in ewes, crutching or early shearing is advised by the Department of Agriculture. Close supervision is necessary to detect cases so that suitable treatment can be applied before the strike becomes too extensive. When treating cases of fly strike, shear the soiled wool away from the immediate vicinity of the strike. Dressings containing aldrin, dieldrin, or BHC will rapidly kill the maggots, which will be expelled from the wound. In addition treatment with either aldrin or dieldrin preparations will prevent restrike until dipping if this is done in January. These dressings do not prevent the flies blowing the sheep with eggs, but they do prevent the maggots from hatching and causing a strike. Irritant fluids such as kerosene should not be used; they may kill the maggots, but they will irritate the wound and tend to cause restrike. Jetting ewes is not usually necessary, but if fly strike is severe, it may be advisable to treat them to give protection until dipping. Apply ½ gallon of aldrin or dieldrin wash to the crutch of each animal, extending the wetted area to above and round the tail. A pump working at 40lb to 60lb pressure per square inch, with a hand cutout on the nozzle, is advisable for this purpose. Jetting with aldrin or dieldrin at 0.05 per cent will give 2 month's complete protection against crutch strike; for longer protection 0.1 per cent should be used.