Each spring and late summer we treat our sheep to prevent a particularly nasty condition called 'fly strike'. The green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata) lay their eggs in the wool of sheep and when the maggots hatch they have a ready food source available to them. Unfortunately for the sheep this means it will be slowly eaten alive. If not treated the injury caused by the maggots will kill the sheep hence the need to keep on top of this potential problem
During peak summer we don't have to worry about flies as they will have been sheared and there is no fleece for eggs to be laid in. By late August the fleece has grown back enough to become a problem again. Two days ago we noticed one of our ewes displaying classic 'fly strike' symptoms. She had taken herself away from the flock and was looking agitated, biting at her rear end and foot stamping. We brought her in and sure enough she had maggots on her. Luckily we caught her in time, sheared the affected area and treated her to prevent the flies re laying. We kept her in the yard overnight but by the next day she was good to go back out.
This served as the trigger to treat the whole flock so today we gathered all 100 in and spent the afternoon applying a spray that in effect acts as a repellent to the flies. It lasts up to 8 weeks so should see them through the remainder of the period when flies are active.
Sheep are vital to the success of chough on Ramsey as they graze the sward to a height and density that allows them to access the soil invertebrates that make up the bulk of their diet. This work is all part and parcel of animal husbandry and maintaining the flock in peak condition.
A busy afternoon for Dewi as he saved us a lot of legwork!
Tired but happy at the end!