Correct application is important for all animal medicines, especially blowfly control. Taking a little time to plan and think about the whole task in hand before you do anything will save you time and ensure you make the most out of your products.
When applying insect growth regulators like the Clik® range of products, it is recommended to use the 4-stroke technique to maximise fleece coverage.
Elanco have been applying blowfly products for years, here are their tips based on their personal experiences:
- Group the sheep into weight bands. It might take a bit more time but this will make sure the animals get the correct dose. Too little will not give the full protection. Too much is wasting your money!
- Calibrate the correct application gun, with the correct nozzle, at the start. Do it again after 150 sheep or each time you stop. Laying the gun down can allow air to get in and affect the dose. It should be a fan spray nozzle - make sure you check it is producing a fan spray before you start.
- Apply the product in a pen preferably. The product has to go on the midline. In a race the fleece can easily be moved about as the sheep jump about and on top of each other. The product moves by gravity if it isn’t on the midline one side of the sheep may not be protected.
- If you are doing multiple treatments like vaccines and drenching at the same time do the blowfly treatment at the end. If you treat the sheep in a loose pen and then run them up the race, some of the product will be rubbed off.
- In order to work, the product has to go on the animal! With small lambs this means we have to get close to them to ensure the product doesn’t go on the floor.
- When applying product using the four-stroke method for the CLiK range of products, apply the two backend strokes up towards the backend of the animal to stop product going on the floor.
- If sheep are dirty do not apply product on to the dirt as it will not work.
- Apply the product on a dry day. If it rains in the first few hours before the product has bound in place then product may be washed off.
- Applying product isn’t an Olympic sport! Take a rest – when you are tired you are less likely to apply the product accurately. Time is precious but taking a bit of time when applying is time better spent than catching and treating struck sheep.
