***BLOWFLY ALERT***
Blowfly strike is a serious disease which affects a large number of farms within the UK.
Blowfly strike is caused by primarily by the green bottle fly which seeks to lay eggs in decomposing matter. The green bottle fly will look for carcasses, dirty backends, foot rot lesions and open wounds as suitable areas to lay their eggs.
Blowfly strike can cause huge problems for sheep and farm productivity.
Losses are incurred from:
Welfare
Loss in productivity (weight loss and decreased milk yield)
Fleece damage
Deaths
Treatment costs; including product, labour and time
Early signs are:
Irritation
Nibbling at tail head
Increased swishing of tails
Rubbing
Further signs of discomfort in lame animals
Prevention should include:
Reduce dirty backends
Application of preventative products
Treat lame sheep
Tail docking
Control worm burdens
Please contact one of our vets for further information to help combat this terrible disease.