Well, it’s certainly that time of year. I hadn’t noticed until just last week.
I walked out early one morning to throw out some sudan hay to the few cows we have penned up at the house, and I was swarmed by the flies. I took a look at the cows, and they were just covered.
Needless to say, we’re scheduling in some fly control this week.
We usually just use a pour-on for internal and external parasites, like IVER-ON (a generic form of Ivomec). It tends to take care of the majority of the fly problem out here.
But, there are tons of options for your summer fly control. Everything ranging from insecticide-containing ear tags, feed additives, sprays, dusts and internal treatments.
North Dakota State University Extension Service has an article that outlines the main forms of treatment, along with benefits and considerations for each. And the High Plains Journal published an article on tips for cattle fly control by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service last summer.
Any option you choose for your herd will be much better than ignoring a fly problem. There’s been plenty of research to show that fly control helps you produce healthier cattle with higher weaning and yearling weights.
Fly control and your cattle records
Check your cattle record keeping system for ways to quickly enter in treatments like this, where you’re dealing with the same treatment for a large group of cattle, like the Herd Update method in CattleMax. This way, you only have to record the treatment information once, and select the cattle it applies to. It’ll sure save you a lot of time over typing the same information for each animal over and over again.
Also, be sure to check withdrawal periods for any treatments you use on cattle you plan to send to auction or slaughter soon. Some systems, like CattleMax, will check for these withdrawal periods for you when you try to sell these cattle. Just be sure to note any treatment withdrawals, and double-check records for cattle you’re selling soon after treatment.
So, how do you keep a handle on flies during the summer months? Do you switch up your method, or have you found one that works best for your herd?
Fly season won’t peak until July or August for most geographic locations in the U.S., so you have a little time to put your fly control plan together.
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