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1 September 2019
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Animal Health

Flystrike protection post-docking

Lambs are the class of stock most at risk from flystrike. In areas where blowflies routinely cause problems, preventative treatments are commonly applied to lambs early in the spring and usually at docking.

Research has shown that even relatively small strikes cause a marked loss in appetite in the affected animal with a resulting rapid loss in weight. Recovering this lost weight can take significant time.¹ As the wounds caused by docking act as an attractant to flies, it is important that any treatment applied provides protection until these wounds have completely healed.

Ready to use water based Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) formulations containing the potent active ingredient dicyclanil such as CLiKZiN™ Spray-On, CLiK™ Spray-On and now CLiK™ Extra Spray-On, are popular for use as a docking flystrike preventative treatment. The benefits of these products include:

  • Being water based formulations, they are non-flammable, an essential feature where a searing iron is used for tailing.
  • CLiKZiN Spray-On contains 12.5 g per L dicyclanil and provides flystrike protection for six to nine weeks. CLiKZiN Spray-On has a seven day meat withholding period.
  • CLiK Spray-On contains 50.0 g per L dicyclanil and provides flystrike protection for up to 18 weeks. CLiK Spray-On has a 35 day meat withholding period for coarse wool sheep and 56 day meat withholding period for fine woolled sheep.
  • CLiK Extra Spray-On contains 65.0 g per L dicyclanil and provides flystrike protection for 14 to 26 weeks. CLiK Extra Spray-On has a 21 day meat withholding period.
  • Using the approved Elanco 10 mL docking applicator, 5 to 10 ml can easily be applied to effectively protect the docking wound. Remember that where the product is applied is the area protected against flystrike.
  • There is no known resistance recorded by strike flies to dicyclanil in New Zealand.
  • The protection periods shown on the label of each product indicates the expected duration of protection against body and breech strike in sheep, and should give an indication of the duration of protection when used after docking. 

For more information on flystrike prevention, contact your local PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative.

Supplied by Elanco

¹ Heath et al., (1987) The effects of artificially-induced fly-strike on food intake and liveweight gain in sheep. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 35: 50-52.

Refer to registered labels for full information.

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