Flies... help!

[marusempai]

So there were flies in the barn. Ok so it is a barn, got a fly trap. Not catching a lot of flies (plus it smells... UGH!). The reason being that they are mostly on the goats. The dang flies ride them out into the pasture then back into the barn. I'm finding the fly control isle at the feed store a bit confusing, so thought I'd ask - what do you use? Bonus points for things that will help while the goats are in the pasture, I followed them out today and there are *really* exciting flies out there, with neon green eyes. Ew! They're driving the poor girls nuts... Sundae even rolls around to get them all off sometimes, poor thing.

[Doug Hodges]

Fly control.... HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Doug Hodges]

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...ords=quivkbayt


This took care of mine. I just sprinkle a little bit every day or so and sweep up the deal flies the next day.

[marusempai]

Originally Posted by Doug Hodges

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...ords=quivkbayt


This took care of mine. I just sprinkle a little bit every day or so and sweep up the deal flies the next day.

Thanks for the links... also WOW that stuff is toxic! Not sure if my problem is that bad, but I'm glad that a "nuclear option" exists.

But it's sounding like you have to control the flies some other place than on the critters? Because that's where they are - if I shoo them they fly up, but they always land right back on the poor goats. They particularly like to go after them when they're on the milk stand, which has the additional problem of being right in my face. :P

[DragonFlyFarm]

Could you mist the goats with equine fly spray?

[marusempai]

Originally Posted by DragonFlyFarm

Could you mist the goats with equine fly spray?

Something like that would be ideal - I'm concerned though because (obviously) goats are different than horses, and I'm new at this and worry about making them sick. They are milk goats too, if that makes a difference...

[coso]

I use Bronco fly spray on my girls at shows so they won't stomp around if flies are bothering them.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Yes, you can use Equine Spray. They are almost all pyrethrin.

[marusempai]

Neat, thanks! Hopefully this will help. It's hilarious when they roll to get flies off, but poor goats.

[Doug Hodges]

Originally Posted by marusempai

Thanks for the links... also WOW that stuff is toxic! Not sure if my problem is that bad, but I'm glad that a "nuclear option" exists.



But it's sounding like you have to control the flies some other place than on the critters? Because that's where they are - if I shoo them they fly up, but they always land right back on the poor goats. They particularly like to go after them when they're on the milk stand, which has the additional problem of being right in my face. :P

It attracts them away from the animals, feed, poo and milk.

[Tabitha]

We buy those sticky tapes you hang from the ceilings. DH has to change them every few days. They really are black with flies. We have four of them hanging in the goat shed. Still a lot of flies though bothering the goats and me at milking. Sweep out regularly,sprinkle diatomacious Earth on everything, put down fresh bedding and sprinkle D E. We hardly have any flies that way.

[onebizebee]

Quickbate Fly Bait I put it in small containers up high out of the goats and chickens reach. You can watch the flies land on it feed and fly away only to die in mid air and hit the ground. I love the stuff. We had tried so many different things. Our neighbors have cows but never do anything for flies. I did fly predators etc. There was to many flies to be effective. So I switched to Quickbate. It works great. I do my best to keep it from getting on the ground etc. I don't want anything but flies eating it.

[Backfourty,MI.]

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/stor...nt-32-oz-spray

This is the one I've been using the last couple years. I buy it in the gallon refill size though & it's cheaper that way.
I spray my goats about every 2 weeks. lasts pretty good & helps with the mosquitos too.

[Tabitha]

Originally Posted by onebizebee

Quickbate Fly Bait I put it in small containers up high out of the goats and chickens reach. You can watch the flies land on it feed and fly away only to die in mid air and hit the ground. I love the stuff. We had tried so many different things. Our neighbors have cows but never do anything for flies. I did fly predators etc. There was to many flies to be effective. So I switched to Quickbate. It works great. I do my best to keep it from getting on the ground etc. I don't want anything but flies eating it.

Where do you get it? I sure have never seen it. A couple of times I bought one of those container trap type things you hang up, at Tractor supply, but they can't hold a candle to sticky tapes, and are expensive. I would like to get something I can put up high under the overhang where the sheep like to congregate.

[southerngurl]

Equisect is natural horse spray and what I use on my goats.

[marusempai]

Originally Posted by Tabitha

Where do you get it? I sure have never seen it. A couple of times I bought one of those container trap type things you hang up, at Tractor supply, but they can't hold a candle to sticky tapes, and are expensive. I would like to get something I can put up high under the overhang where the sheep like to congregate.

Our Tractor Supply has it, I almost missed it because it's on a very high shelf. I hate the container traps... they barely even work.

On a side note, I sprayed everybody with Bronco spray last night, and today there are a lot fewer flies on the goats. I'll clean out the loafing shed some more once it cools down (this morning was devoted to my war with the woodchuck), hopefully that will be enough. If not: Quickbayt. Wish I'd been smart enough to research fly control a little more before I bought the goats.

[motdaugrnds]

I've been using "fly predators" for several years now. It works very well inside the barn and chicken house.

I spray apple cider vinegar over my goats' backs during the summer and this helps too.

The year I had Muscovy ducks, the ducks would travel around the pastures with the goats and would jump up to catch those biting flies when they land on the goat(s)...quite a site to watch.

[Frosted Mini's]

The really stinky traps where you drown the flies are working pretty good for me so far, but our worst fly season hasn't hit yet. However, if you use them, put them somewhere AWAY from where you milk, because they work by attracting the flies, obviously you don't want to attract them there. The Quickbayt didn't work at all for me! The flies were not interested in it. Maybe I got a bad batch or something?

[Olivia67]

In the book Natural Goat Care the author recommends yellow sulfur powder for all external parasites. I have a problem with fly strike on my dark sheep's ears, some of the white sheep to but mostly the dark sheep. Catching sheep every day to put toxic stuff on their ears, which just melts off and is basically worthless in the rain and heat was not acceptable but I did for two full years anyway. Last fall I had my feed store order a 50 lb bag of yellow sulfur powder, it must be 99.9 percent pure, and I started adding it to both the sheep and goat's feed every day. This year I have no fly strike on my sheep and goats, except for an old ram who just wanders the farm and doesn't get a daily feed mix because he just eats whatever and whenever he wants. I noticed that he was having some fly strike issues and so now I give him some oats with YSP in it every morning too and within 1 week his ears are almost completely healed up with only one or two very stubborn flies still trying to get a meal off of him but not looking very happy about it, his blood must be starting to taste pretty terrible. I still have flies, and they are still annoying but at least they aren't eating my animals ear's anymore. For my goats on the milking stand I use a product from the Walmart hunting section with lemon and eucalyptus called Repel, it has no DEET in it. My milking does freak out if a fly even lands on them while I'm milking so I spray myself and my doe with it before I even start milking.

Anyway the YSP is all natural, it only takes a little bit every day to work and I have found that it does work well for us. The book says that livestock need sulfur anyway as part of a well balanced diet.

Has anyone else has success with using it?