Shoo Fly

     As the temperatures warm up for summer, flying parasites become more common around livestock. While these seem to be a mild annoyance, flies and mosquitos can cause more problems than you realize.

     Good livestock health plans include control of internal and external parasites. Products like fenbendazole, ivermectin, levamisole, albendazole and oxfendazole are used and can have some effect on biting flying parasites, but they must bite an animal to be effective. A good health plan tries to prevent livestock from being bit in the first place.

The Problem Parasites

• Mosquitos
• Blood sucking pest. They can cause skin irritation at the bite. Multiple bites can lead to animals scratching areas raw causing open sores. This can lead to worse problems.
• They can carry diseases such as West Nile Virus and Equine Encephalomyelitis.
• They can carry parasite such as the one that becomes heartworms in dogs.
• Black Flies
• They can cause skin irritation at bite. Multiple bites can lead to animals scratching areas raw causing open sores. This can lead to worse problems.
• They can transmit diseases.
• Bot Flies
• They lay eggs on livestock so the larvae use the animals as a host.
• This can cause sores and irritation internally and externally.
• Heel Fly
• They lay eggs on animal hairs.
• Hatched larvae enter the body and live in the host animal.
• Horn Fly
• Blood sucking pest. They can cause skin irritation at bite. Multiple bites can lead to animals scratching areas raw causing open sores. This can lead to worse problems.
• Blood sucking lowers energy of livestock and reduces productivity.
• Horse Fly
• Blood sucking pest. They can cause skin irritation at bite. Multiple bites can lead to animals scratching areas raw causing open sores. This can lead to worse problems.
• They can carry diseases like Equine Infectious Anemia and Anaplasmosis.
• Screwworm Fly
• The female lays eggs by fresh wounds. Likely spots include castration sites, ear notches and dehorning.
• The larvae feed on the host animal.

Controlling These Parasites

     Each of these parasites has a different habitat and ways they can be controlled. As a group, the best way to control them is by sanitation. Remove manure from pens and barns, and compost it. Keep livestock clean. Treat all wounds by cleaning and covering the wound location. Remove other possible habitats, like standing water for mosquitos.

      Continue using appropriate internal and external parasite controls (dewormers). You can use fly sprays appropriate for your species. Fly tags are commonly used on cattle. Fly traps and poisons can be used around the barn. IGR (insect growth regulators) can be added to feed and supplements to help control flies (consult your veterinarian and feed supplier).

     Just remember fly sprays, tags, traps and poisons are all harmful and should be handled with caution by adults and according to the directions. If you have any questions about fly and mosquito control or problems, visit with your veterinarian and see what they recommend.

Here are some other resources about flying parasite controls:

Livestock Veterinary Entomology website, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Best Management Practices for Fly Control, Michigan State University

Good luck keeping those pesky critters away from your animals.

Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension

Not Labeled For...

     Most people who have worked around livestock have, at some time, used a product not labeled for livestock on their animals. We either did it by mistake when we were young, or in a pinch as an adult. I am not talking about the substances that you may find listed as banned by a state or national stock show. I am focusing on things you might buy off the self at the local discount store or grocery. I have heard a lot of different things over the years:

"I put furniture polish on our red pigs to give them shine!"

"We use laundry stain remover instead of the expensive adhesive remover."

"A little laundry soap can relieve that bloat."

"Aspirin is safe to give them."

 

      But why are some products not labeled for animals when they seem relatively harmless? The truth is, when we use products not labeled for livestock, we are putting the health of our animals at risk, the wholesomeness of our food at risk, and possibly even breaking the law.

 

     Now do not panic! The law is not going to come after you if you washed your steer with dish soap or put sunscreen on your show pig, but we need to have a little conversation of why we should not be doing these things.

 

    One of the main reasons we don't use products unless they are labeled for animals is the product may be harmful to them. Our livestock's bodies may be similar to ours, but how they function and process things can be very different from ours. A product that is safe for human skin, such as sunscreen, may cause a reaction with the skin of your show pig. The chemicals in the sunscreen react differently to pig skin than human skin. Other products, for example the laundry stain remover from the quote above, may do the job you need to break down adhesive out of cattle hair, but what is the chemical formula for stain remover? Is laundry stain remover labeled to be used on human skin? No. Then do you think it would be labeled to use on cattle? Using alternative products for grooming your livestock is not advisable, and the products are not labeled for livestock use for a reason.

 

     When it comes to things we put into our animals, from feeds to pharmaceuticals, we are not only putting our animals at risk, but also the food supply. There are foods, supplements, additives and medications labeled for livestock use. They have been approved by several government agencies, like USDA and FDA, to be safe for animals and safe for the animals to produce food for human use. These products have been scientifically studied and it is understood how they will act in the body of the livestock they are labeled for, and they will be either safe or fully broken down before any animal products become part of our food supply. If you have completed any type of livestock quality assurance program (Colorado MQA, Beef Quality Assurance, Pork Quality Assurance, etc.) you have learned about withdrawal times, chemical residues and the Wholesome Meat Act. You should understand the importance of keeping our food safe and healthy.

 

    Following the label directions on feed, additives, supplements or medications means you are doing your best to produce healthy animals and wholesome animal food products. If you purposely do not follow directions and your animal or the food products from your animal are found with traces of products not labeled for are found, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE. You may be banned from showing and will forfeit all your prize and sale money. Worst case, you have to go to court and can be fined heavily for breaking state and federal laws.

 

     In short, if it is not labeled for livestock, do not use it on your livestock. It is your job as the owner and manager of your livestock to produce healthy animals and wholesome food. If you do not, you are putting a lot of things at risk.

 

 

Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension