![]() Newly infested sheep will stay with the herd until they are unable to keep up or the others abandon them. First, choose the ones with discolored, patches on their rumps, especially if the hair looks like it is wet from the animal chewing there. Remember, time is of the essence–it takes hours not days for flies to infest a sheep. Check their rumps and along their spine up to their necks. Round up your flock and inspect each one for fly damage. The one in the forefront has it the worst. The smell and red skin will attract even more flies. The sheep may use its mouth to bite at the maggots and will often tear some of their fur off which has already become loosened by the feeding worms. As they grow, the hair will start to fall out or be lifted off the animal but still remain and act as a cover to the devastation underneath. ![]() Circular patches of gray, writhing worms just beneath the hair and out of sight to the observer. Once these eggs hatch, they will feed on the skin of the animal and subcutaneous tissue (beneath the skin). They clump together and are somewhat wet and sticky. If you are inspecting your sheep, the eggs will be slightly off-white, almost yellow. There they will lay their eggs, which are capable of hatching within six to eight hours. The flies, seemingly work like a pack, and bury themselves into the thick hair of the sheep. Sheep with long dirty “dreadlocks” or matted hair with feces are a prime target. Perhaps there is a wound on the animal or some manure on its coat. The flies tend to gang up on a single spot. But sure enough, when you approach the animal, you will see large flies buzzing around it. Perhaps it is ostracized or just goes off on its own in its misery. Most likely you will notice a clear sign when one of your sheep is off on its own, away from the flock. Now (October) is the time to be on the look out for fly strike in your herd. When it’s raining daily, it’s hot out and the ground you are walking on becomes soggy and it is not easily drained away, the conditions are right. Over the years, I have gotten fly strike on sheep, goats and recently a new born calf. My sheep flock has been as big as 30 but now I have reduced it to only five. I have been keeping sheep for 10 years in the tropics and have had fly strike maybe six-eight times. A parasite that can kill a sheep in as little as three days and spread to other animals in the flock or cows, and goats. Still the conditions on the windward (wet) side of the Big Island, aren’t exactly perfect for keeping hair sheep, especially when the conditions are hot and wet.ĭuring these times, sheep are susceptible to fly strike or myiatic flies. Hair sheep don’t make the traditional wool that needs to get sheared off each spring. In Hawaii, we can keep tropical hair sheep such as Barbados black belly or St.
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