Fly strike is often described as about the nastiest thing that can befall a sheep. Now I know how true that is. I try to cast an eye over my sheep at least twice a day. Lameness, lying down away from the flock, excessive tail twitching, rubbing against fence posts, or lethargic behaviour all merit a closer look. So when I noticed Marshmellow — named by one of my grandchildren — shaking her tail and trying to scratch her rump, I made a mental note to examine her. I decided it was a job best left to the end of day when we had relatives visiting and a few extra pairs of hands.
Bad decision! By mid-afternoon she was off her legs and clearly unwell. When I examined her rump the first thing I noticed was a foul smell and I had soon discovered a writhing patch of maggots burrowing into her flesh. The wool in the affected area pulled away easily so I was able to clear away most of the maggots and spray with Crovect and iodine for good measure.
Clearly Marshmellow was suffering from toxaemia and so needed further treatment.
A quick visit to the vet and I returned armed with injections of Alamycin, a long-acting antibiotic, Recocam, an anti-inflammatory to reduce pain,and Dectomax to kill any maggots too deep in the flesh to be polished off by the spray, as well as fly cream to smother the area. Phew! Luckily she was still unable to stand and so carrying out intramuscular and subcutaneous injections was fairly easy.
Recovery was swift and my best ewe was soon grazing contentedly alongside her almost fully grown ewe lamb, so I decided not to quarantine her.
A careful look at the rest of the small flock revealed one more ewe with an early infestation of maggots that hadn’t burrowed beneath the skin and were easily removed. The whole flock was sprayed with Crovect and wormed for good measure.
Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Secret World Of The Honey Bee
Who knew that honey bees are the best builders? Nicola Bradbear from Bees for Development reveals how they build their parallel wax combs with extraordinary accuracy
Tip the light fantastic
The latest offering from Ifor Williams Trailers is the Single Axle Tipper, which is simply perfect for small-scale farmers
The legacy of The Good Life
The Good Life captured the public’s imagination when it first aired in 1975. On Country Smallholding’s 45th birthday, Jeremy Hobson looks at this and other programmes with a self-sufficiency slant that have captivated urban and rural dwellers alike over nearly half a century
‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'
A tree Armageddon frightens poultry diarist Julian Hammer’s flock and leaves him with a mammoth clear-up job
Tools of the trade
In the second part of his mini-series on tools that are useful around the holding, Kevin Alviti takes an in-depth look at the iconic scythe, a thistle paddle and forks that were once virtually indispensable to small-scale farmers
The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world
Adam Henson waxes lyrical about the Texel, which boasts such a stocky body that it resembles a box of muscle on four legs
Buying on a tight budget
As demand for smallholdings increases and prices continue to rise, is there a way to achieve your dream without forking out a fortune? In the first part of a new mini-series, Liz Shankland explores the possibilities
Crazy for crafts
In an ordinary back garden and single paddock near Kidderminster, Kay Dalloway has created both a thriving smallholding and a successful fibre business — all while working full time for the NHS. Helen Babbs drops by to find out about her ventures
Game on
A little preparation in the autumn months will help to make the transition into winter smoother and put your garden and tools on a better footing come the spring, says Stephanie Bateman
1975 And All That
Country Smallholding is 45 this month. To celebrate, Jeremy Hobson takes a look at some of the changes — both good and bad — to small-scale farming over that near half-century
