Author Topic: Advice please.... (Read 3883 times)

Azzdodd · « **on:** September 19, 2013, 07:30:22 am »

Well great timing as it is both my rams have fallen ill the old boy was castrated Monday to save fights. Now now my other ram has got flystrike pretty bad and he isn't in the best condition now. 3 ewes are still to be tupped...my question is will get still tup? I have spoken to the neighbour next door he says I can put the ewes in with his Oxford down ram for £35? I don't wanna pay that if my boy will tup them later down the line but there is no way I can have no lambs next year my only money maker

ZaktheLad · « **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2013, 08:34:05 am »

An unwell ram is unlikely to want to serve ewes - flystrike is horrible and makes the poor victim feel like cr*p. I suspect your tup will be feeling pretty sorry for himself and the last thing on his mind will be tupping ewes, especially if he is not in the best of conditions to start with. Tups should be in the best of health before being put with the ewes.

He may well improve significantly over the next couple of weeks though if you treat his wounds diligently and also give him lots of TLC to give him a boost in health. So, it really depends a lot on whether you are prepared to have a gap in your lambing of perhaps several weeks from those ewes already tupped to these 3 that are not, or whether you would prefer to put them in with your neighbours and perhaps have them tupped immediately. I guess if the ewes have not been tupped by yours already then they should be due in season very shortly?

The weather is forecast to become warmer again this weekend with temps in the low 20's. so you will need to be very aware of more flystrikes occurring.

Azzdodd · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2013, 08:45:26 am »

This was my thoughts. He seems a little better this morning came for a cuddle and a biscuit and I put some more sudecrem on his wounds he lives with the girls all year round so if he wants to I can't really stop him lol he is still got raddle paint on so I will soon know..... Next door is always there.....agreed fly strike is horrible I will be applying more click on Sunday 4th time in as many months.....and it hasn't worked anyway does anyone know any natural repellents to add also?

Anke · « **Reply #3 on:** September 19, 2013, 10:49:00 am »

Quote from: Azzdodd on September 19, 2013, 08:45:26 am

This was my thoughts. He seems a little better this morning came for a cuddle and a biscuit and I put some more sudecrem on his wounds he lives with the girls all year round so if he wants to I can't really stop him lol he is still got raddle paint on so I will soon know..... Next door is always there.....agreed fly strike is horrible I will be applying more click on Sunday 4th time in as many months.....and it hasn't worked anyway does anyone know any natural repellents to add also?

Clik may not work if it has been kept at temperatures above 25 deg C, and this summer that could have easily happened, maybe even if stored incorrectly at the merchants, or in transit during delivery. Not sure if it is the same if it freezes too. I know that Fasinex won't work if frozen.

shep53 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 19, 2013, 06:05:49 pm »

If your ram had a high temp due to the fly strike he may tup your ewes but be infertile, so i would take the neighbours offer

Azzdodd · « **Reply #5 on:** September 20, 2013, 06:28:33 am »

Well he has been chasing 2 off the girls this afternoon but after you said about the infertility ill be sending them to the neighbour.....funny enough in the field next to mine all his ram lambs are there there all pushing at the fence like mad to get in I might be lucky and one break in ;-) ha! Safe to say flystrike is a pain!!

ZaktheLad · « **Reply #6 on:** September 20, 2013, 07:19:51 am »

I'm spraying mine again with Crovect this evening and that should then take them through to the end of the potential flystrike period.

My last two ram lambs are off to their new home in Oxford tomorrow morning and I have told the new owner that I will spray them before they leave as I would hate for them to get strike in their new home. He sprayed all of his last week so it has fitted in well. I did only spray all of mine 6 weeks ago, but as Crovect is only expected to last 6-8 weeks, I don't want to take any risks.

The weather here last night was typical flystrike conditions - very humid but damp. With warmer weather forecast for the weekend and Monday I want to be prepared for all those flies coming back out!

ladyK · « **Reply #7 on:** September 20, 2013, 02:18:31 pm »

If you want to try a natural repellent along with the Crovect, Barrier Biotech do a 'Blowfly Repel' spray specifically for sheep. I've got a bottle here, but I'm afraid I haven't tried it yet myself, so can't vouch for it - however I use their disinfectant solution a lot in my chicken coop, and they seem to have won an award for their horse fly repellent, so at least I thought it was worth a try.

Azzdodd · « **Reply #8 on:** September 21, 2013, 09:53:08 am »

Well the girls went next door this morning 2 served in 5 mins other getting chased. He did not charge me in the end. Agreed if I like the look off the lambs born ill buy a ram lamb next year. Which is good for me and if decide not too then I can keep the ewe lambs to breed with my tup.....does anyone use Oxford down tups on there ewes? I know the Hampshire down is coming alot more popular