More than just a nuisance to animals and humans alike, house and stable flies on sheep and goats impact livestock health through painful bites and spreading of diseases. A proactive approach to fly management is crucial as house flies spread disease, and even 50 to 60 stable flies per animal can impact health and performance of sheep and goats.
Controlling flies on goats and sheep can help an operation in multiple ways, including:
Block Bites - The stable fly is notorious for its painful bites. Stable flies will mainly feed on the legs and flanks of sheep and goats, which causes them to consume less feed, to grow at a slower rate and to convert less feed into body mass. Biting flies can inflict “stress” in livestock and can cause reduced intake during the summer months, reducing performance. If you notice livestock bunching, that is a good indication that stable fly bites have reached the point of impacting production and profits.
Decrease Disease - House flies carry diseases that are a risk to both livestock and workers. Sixty-five disease organisms have been associated with house fly transmissions.
Stop the Spread – House fly populations can quickly get out of hand in a short period of time. It doesn’t take long before flies are spreading to neighboring farms and homes. Being a good neighbor – and avoiding formal complaints – requires proactive fly management.
Maintain Milk: Among the diseases of greatest concern is mastitis in sheep and goats. The disease leads to decreased milk production in goats and sheep, reducing the quantity and quality of the milk resulting in reduced weight gain in sheep and goats. Protecting sheep and goats from flies that can carry disease and bacteria, including Staph. aureus, the primary cause of mastitis, will sustain animal productivity and farm profitability.
Fortunately, there are many control options available to help farmers manage flies around sheep and goats, protecting the health and comfort of the animals. In addition to routine shearing, clipping and cleaning, and proper manure management, ClariFly® Larvicide Premix 0.67%, a feed-through solution for the control of house and stable flies, is now approved for sheep and goat use.
When fed according to label instructions, ClariFly® Larvicide is over 94% effective in controlling flies in the treated manure of sheep and goats at an average cost of only a few pennies per day. ClariFly® Larvicide Livestock Premix 0.67% is immediately available on a custom blended basis for use in sheep and goats when you obtain the supplemental label from an authorized distributor. For the most effective fly control on sheep and goats, establish a comprehensive integrated pest management (IPM) program built around ClariFly® Larvicide.