Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[greybeard]

Something that has helped mine with the flies is dusting them with DE. Ya can put it in their sleeping area and where they lay, too. It will kill the larvae and will lessen the amount landing on them.....tho, not all. Ya do have to do it regularly if ya get rain, but if it is dry it will continue to work. It kills mites, fleas, ticks, also.

I (and undoubtedly they as well) am so glad my animals don't have to deal with flies.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Why is that GB?.....ya have too many "Love Bugs" for the flies to flurish?....

 

[greybeard]

No, I use established and scientifically proven protocols to control internal and external parasite, and I start early, before the flies even appear.

 

[Southern by choice]

No, I use established and scientifically proven protocols to control internal and external parasite, and I start early, before the flies even appear.

What do you do?
This year we have had so much rain and it is so wet everywhere it is a great breeding environment for them... UGH!
Can't use ear tags on dairy goats... we are at a loss.

 

[Hillaire]

what kind of protocols are you using?

 

[Baymule]

For all the animals we have, we hardly have a fly problem. We have 3 horses, 4 dogs, did have 3 hogs, only one left now until end of August, 13 sheep, 5 Muscovy ducks and a whole bunch of chickens. We just slaughtered 3 hogs in a week and were not bothered by flies. I thought we'd be swarmed. I think the reason we aren't swarmed is because of dung beetles that break up the dung and bury it in their tunnels and the chickens.

 

[Bruce]

They bury the dung in your chickens! Wow, I hope they forget where they put it and don't try to get it back out

I dropped DD1 off tonight for her trip to Indiana tomorrow. When I came back the older chickens came up between the barns. Zorra and one of the littles were by the gate to the barnyard and the other 6 littles were scratching around in the older part of the Paca Poo Pile in the barnyard. The older girls do it as well so I guess I won't be bothered by any flies from that potential source.

There were yellow flies in it last fall but that was when the boys were chasing the chickens out any time they were seen in the barnyard. Not sure if they still wouldn't but the girls have figured out it is safe when the boys are in the barn. The boys have no issues with Zorra and the "kids". Go figure.

 

[Devonviolet]

We have had a lot of flies this year. It seems to be worst in the two areas where we keep Falina and Ruby and the kids. It's been exceptionally wet back there this year. We figured out it's a runoff problem. So, we dug a trench to divert the water, but the torrential downpour, this morning proved it doesn't seem to be enough. So, we will need to dig it deeper and wider.

I read that Muscovy duck love flies. In fact, one person said they butchered a Muscovy and it's crop was packed full of flies!

So, this afternoon, we tied the girls out in the pasture, and let the kids run around in the alley way around the goat area, so the ducks could have free run of the goat area. DH said the Muscovy's seemed interested in the flies at first, but then they just wanted to lay around, with flies landing on them.

I'm hoping if we are persistent with letting the Muscovy's into the goat area, they will whittle down the population and get the larvae too.

 

[Latestarter]

As you know I don't band but I know a few people who do... here is what I have heard.... DON'T lay them on their back... let gravity help - they will "hang"- this is coming from those who learned themselves or from "neighbors" that missed a nut from them not hanging.

So true!! Second part is this -- count! One, TWO.....

I made danged sure that both were through the band before I let the band go. There's no way that I could hold him upright, and band him at the same time, and be sure to not screw it up and grab a nipple or miss a nut or some other potential issue. I made sure I did the "anti-gravity thing" and pulled up on the scrotum with both testes in hand while I positioned the band a little away from the body, but well away from his nipples. There's no doubt there, I got both.

After banding, I got off him and he rolled up and went right over and started eating. No issue. He did look a little uncomfortable after eating when he went over and laid down, but I'm sure it's temporary. I'll post the results over time.

Well, CM has been pretty "tender" today. He's walking carefully, favoring his rear end, not running, and moving slowly. He is eating, and drinking, and he did "jog" over to nurse from Bang along side his sister this evening. He lays down very cautiously. Since this is my first banding, I'm paying close attention so I'll know what to expect in the future. I'm hoping over the next couple of days he livens back up.

 

[babsbag]

I use the fly predators, 4x the number they say I need to start and double the rest of the time. I started in March. The flies are still bad but I know that they would be worse. I use the fly traps, all kinds...the green and blue patterned ones, the old fashion fly paper, and the smelly ones. The smelly ones are supposed to be hung AWAY from the barn so that the flies are drawn away from people and animals.