Keeping cattle healthy and strong can be a difficult task for any rancher. And as many will tell you, flies are an increasingly difficult problem to manage around your herd. Flies can cause a range of health problems for cattle, including pink eye, over-biting and various diseases. Today our team is going to give your some helpful tips you can consider using to help protect your cattle from flies.

1. Using fly tags

Fly tags contain a high concentration of insecticide and are extremely helpful in controlling fly populations. These tags should be placed when you notice each cow has a significant amount of flies surrounding it, typically around 200 flies. An ideal time to place the tags is when you are leading the cattle through the chutes as well as give any vaccinations to calves.

Remember to remove the tags every 3-5 months, to ensure they are working properly and reduce the amount of insecticide that the cattle are exposed to.

2. Dust bags/cattle rubs

Dust bags or rubs, are an economical approach to controlling face and horn flies. It’s important to place the dust bag or cattle rub in a place where your cattle can see it, making sure it’s charged constantly with insecticide.

3. Sprays

This method can be effective for ranchers who have cattle grazing in small areas throughout the year. If your cattle graze in a larger area, this may be a more time consuming method of fly prevention.

No matter what method you use, it’s important you have a system that helps control and manage your herd effectively. To learn more about gates, chutes or systems, please contact our office today at [phone]!