What to do for fly control?

[Big Muddy rancher]

Soapweed, when you were talking fly control ,were you not talking about horn flys. This started out about heel flies or warbles. Are you telling us that you don't control warbles on your cows?

 

[Faster horses]

He uses Warbex, if you go back and read his post.

That is another product that builds up an immunity after extended use and not being rotated.

Grubs are easily killed. My sources (Dr. Don Bliss of Mid-America Labs for one) says you can pass Ivomec over the cows back and kill grubs. We have been using 1/5 or 1/4 dose of an avormectin product in the fall for lice and grubs. The applicator makes it much easier and safer than a dipper and the reduced dosage makes it very inexpensive. Plus it is effective. I do think it needs to be rotated as well.

We knew a fellow in Wyoming who got Warbex in his snoose, and he died after chewing it. I just don't like handling that stuff.

BTW, did anyone read the article on parasites in the last BEEF magazine? If you haven't, I recommend you go back and read it. Dr. Bliss TELLS ALL about the ivomectrin products losing its effacy. I have listened to him lecture to a room full of vets. He is not politically correct~calls it the way he sees it and he does so in this article. I have the utmost respect for him. We have worked with him for several years now on parasite control. He is an independent, does not work for any company. I think he owns Mid America Labs, but I am not sure.

 

[rancher]

I agree, Denny. Extremes either direction don't work. Moderation in all things is a good motto.

Back to the issue of fly control, believe me, I've tried it all. It would be impossible to count all the gunny sacks and baling wire I've tied onto chains between two posts (which is as good a "back-rubber" system as there is). No matter what is used for the fly control agent, after a year or two, immunity is built up. Ear tags worked real well for awhile, but they don't anymore. The only thing that ever really worked satisfactorily was DDT mixed with diesel, but of course that was taken off the market many years ago. Dust bags don't work. After awhile, a person gets tired seeing his efforts and finances being spit into the wind. Our cattle don't have any more flies than any others around the country. They are as contented as anybody's cattle. Plenty of grass, fresh water, and salt and good mineral more than makes up for a few flies. We always Warbex in the fall for lice and grub control. Our weaning weights have consistently gone up, and the size of our cows is still moderate (around 1200# average).

Some herd health costs give a good return on investment. Money spent on fly control, for our operation, is just money thrown out the window.

I still use Synovex C implants, because the extra 25 pounds per calf at selling time puts money in my pocket, and so far, I see not enough "premium" being paid for me not to do it. Our replacement heifer calves always get Synovex C (we've used it for about twenty-five years), and the conception rates are consistently about 95-96%. We have just a few more "opens" than we did without the implants, but the heifers develop enough bigger that we don't have to pull as many calves as before.

A few years ago, a local livestock supply dealer was trying to talk an old-time rancher into using Synovex C. The rancher was not interested. My friend said, "I'd like to have all the money you are losing by not implanting." The old rancher smiled and said, "I don't need the money."

To each their own, I reckon.

Straight diesel fuel works good for me.