Fly Control Methods to Boost Your Cattle’s Performance
Summer brings us barbecues, family vacations, and a lot of sunshine. Unfortunately, in summer we also see an increase in the fly population. Flies are both a nuisance to us and cattle. They spread disease, decrease gains and weaned weights, cause breeding problems and decrease the efficiency in bulls – all of which can bring a loss to your operation. Flies have also been attributed with over $700 million in annual losses, $150 million of that from pinkeye alone. Research has shown that nursing calves bothered by flies show a decrease in weaned weights of 12 – 14lbs., and a decrease in daily gains of 10-15 % which could cost as much as 50 lbs. on a calf. If you own cattle, you need a product to protect your herd from flies. There are several options available to control fly infestation and keep your cattle healthy and your operation profitable.
Having a fly control plan in place 3-4 weeks before the last frost can help you stay ahead of the fly hatch. Fly control options include cattle rubs, oilers, dust bags, fly tags, pour-on products, sprays and feed or mineral additives. Combining two or three of these options is also a good way to guarantee prevention.
External Fly Control Methods
Cattle rub and oilers work well and I would recommend using an all-in-one system. This is a cost-effective way to have it all together. There are several companies that offer the all-in-one with the rub, oiler, mineral feeder, and dust bag option. The added weight of an all-in-one also helps this solution be “bull proof.”
Fly tags are an easy option if applied when working cattle in a chute. I recommend using two energized pyrethroid ear tags for mature cattle, and one energized pyrethroid ear tag for calves. Bayer, Merck, and Zoetis all carry quality fly tags.
Pour-on products and sprays are a good option as long as the products have good residual and an attaching agent added. Pour-on products should be applied when cattle go to grass or when applying fly tags. A good pour-on product has a residual of approximately four weeks, whereas most spray-on products only have a residual of approximately two weeks. Using a cordless power painter works well to mist cattle when checking your herds, and should be done weekly or biweekly for the best results.
Internal Fly Control Methods
Feed and mineral additives, such as fed through larvicides and growth regulators provide another fly control option. ALTOSID IGR is a growth regulator for horn flies and prevents larva born in manure from developing into mature flies. RABON, one of the oldest feed options, is labeled for house, stable, face, and horn flies and kills larva on contact when hatched in manure. A new go-to product is CLARIFLY, which is labeled as a growth regulator for house, horn, stable, and face flies by preventing larva from developing an exoskeleton to become mature flies. I prefer CLARIFLY due to the cost-effectiveness and the elimination of all four fly species and even immature flies if they land in manure contaminated with CLARIFLY. The only downfall to larvicides and growth regulators is any neighboring cattle need to use the same program or your neighbors flies quickly become your flies.
Another cost-effective option that is gaining popularity among the cattle industry is garlic. Feed grade garlic that is added to mineral has been shown to reduce flies on cattle up to 56%. The cattle consume the garlic which omits an odor through the skin and breath, repelling the flies.
I encourage you to reach out to your veterinarian, nutritionist, or a knowledgeable feed specialist to learn more about fly prevention programs best suited for your cattle operation’s needs. Taking preventive measures towards fly control will result in healthier, better performing cattle and keep the flies from robbing you of your hard-earned money!
This article contains expertise provided by Heath Clausen. Heath owns and operates Heartland Nutrition, a cattle nutrition business in Leigh, Nebraska that’s been in business for over 40 years. Heartland Nutrition specializes in Cattle nutrition work, ruminant health, cow/calf operations and feedlot performance. They cover the Midwest states and offer many probiotic/ruminant health products, cow minerals, feedlot balancers, pinkeye / footrot specialty products as well as doing nutrition work such as feedlot rations, fetal programming, and breeding rations. They pride themselves on customer relations and helping producers increase their profits and raising healthier, better performing cattle.