Fly control for cows

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BrandX":1a7a9t3e said:
what, if any, is the concern with the cattle absorbing diesel through their skin?
That's a valid concern. But I would personally be less concerned with diesel than some of these insecticides. Are you going for an organic approach? I've experimented with some different things if you are interested.
 
Kell-inKY":1pj03sgj said:
BrandX":1pj03sgj said:
what, if any, is the concern with the cattle absorbing diesel through their skin?
That's a valid concern. But I would personally be less concerned with diesel than some of these insecticides. Are you going for an organic approach? I've experimented with some different things if you are interested.

Maybe not organic certified but grass fed and chemical-free we eat our beef and sell it as a healthy product.I sure would not drink diesel fuel. What have you tried?
 
There are a lot of aromatic oils that repel insects, they are pretty expensive but they do work. Mixing them with a cooking oil or something extends them and keeps them on the cattle longer. My concern when experimenting with them was the ones that seem to work well also would probably cause eye irritation. For example, if your wife has any tea tree oil, you will notice the fumes that come off that stuff makes your eyes water. Apple cider vinegar seemed to work pretty well, but there again, it is acidic and would burn the tar out of their eyes, plus evaporates pretty quick.

I wouldn't mess with trying to spray anything on either, you can't get enough on and you would have to do it every single day. A cattle rub (with face flaps hanging) is the only way to go in my opinion.

If you have red cedar trees you will see cows hanging out under the branches, it is a natural insect repellent as well.

Anyway, you get the idea, good luck.
 
Anyone notice a difference between mixing the permethrin with mineral oil versus diesel? We had always used diesel but they really run away like it burns. We tried mixing it with mineral oil a few days ago and they didn't seem to mind it as much.
Does it work as well? Anyone else notice the cows "preferring" one over the other?
Thanks
 
Pour ons are good and diesel/pyrethrums rubs add a great tool in fly control. One thing To think about is if cattle is running all over the pastures, they aren't eating. Bad deal. Sometimes the extra $1 does make sense. Good luck!
 
boondocks":v9mtlumh said:
Anyone notice a difference between mixing the permethrin with mineral oil versus diesel? We had always used diesel but they really run away like it burns. We tried mixing it with mineral oil a few days ago and they didn't seem to mind it as much.
Does it work as well? Anyone else notice the cows "preferring" one over the other?
Thanks

Permethrin in an oil base is my preference over diesel. This year, I used Ultra-Boss. I was impressed. I had previously used Ultra-Sabre which is also effective. Horseflies are a challenge - nothing I have used has been effective.
 
I'm new to cattle but I had such a prob with flys at one time one of my steers has sores on him from the horse flys, I tried a pour on (ivermectin yellow bottle from TSC) but that didn't keep the flys down. I also used (Country Vet CV-80D Flying Insect Aerosol Spray) from TSC, daily or every other day which kept most flys down. Until one day I went old school. I hung a back rub poured a few quarts of used motor oil on it, about a gallon of diesel fuel and half a gallon of insecticide in it. It's been two weeks and at most I see is one fly on them now, where 4-6 giant man eating (lol) horse flys per cow were, now are 0-1 everytime I go out there. I didn't go overboard with liquid in the rub, just enough for a light coating when the cows pass under it. All the sores on the one steer are completely gone, and all 3 of my cows are happy and mostly fly free. I also hung two of those plastic fly trap things, ones disposable and looks like a bell with a cone under it, the other a plastic jar (reusable), them things have caught 2-3 dozen flys each so far ranging from a house fly to a giant man eating horse fly that makes chucky look like a tickle me Elmo. I saw a few warbles in there also, there ok, but the jar one loses water fast, evaporates I'm guessing. So to sum it up, I read back rubs were the way to go with old school guys using motor oil or diesel and my vet said to use insecticide so I said F it I will just used a little of all 3 lmao and I was surprised to find little to no flys on my 3 cows now. Face, legs, back and sides. I'm just glad not to go back there to find a dozen Godzilla sized flys trying to cut steaks out of my cows while 35,000 of there little soldier buddies attacking legs, eyes and for giggles the upper back where the tongue and tail can't reach, (poor cows) I felt really bad for the jersey steer in particular, dude looked like he just watched Hilary become president and was balling his eyes out. (I know politics are touchy here but I couldn't resist lol)
 
JMJ Farms":2kdgkvad said:
tncattle":2kdgkvad said:
So, will a fly tag in each ear work better than choosing one ear and doing one tag?

All manufacturers will have reccomendations on the label. Most reccomend two.

Of course. Two tags per cow is much better for the manufacturer.
 
The main problem with the fly tags is that poeple don;t replace them as often as they should. Before long the flys are adapted to the insecticide and they lose their effectiveness
 
I want to revive this thread with a question on rubs. Do you put them in a place where the cattle have to pass through or will they use rubs voluntarily? My problem is my cattle share their pastures with my daughter's horse who is quite a bit taller than the cows. A rub hung across a gateway would essentially block the horse from the pasture.
 
NonTypicalCPA":gfu70hoz said:
I want to revive this thread with a question on rubs. Do you put them in a place where the cattle have to pass through or will they use rubs voluntarily? My problem is my cattle share their pastures with my daughter's horse who is quite a bit taller than the cows. A rub hung across a gateway would essentially block the horse from the pasture.


Ive done it both ways , best results Ive had is across the gate hole into the cow lot , I have a mineral trough and water in it so they get used to it pretty quick I have hung the just between to poles and some will use it all the time others never when done that way
 
I have them hung across the mineral and salt feeder. Also hang a couple on tree limbs of their summer daytime hang outs. Hanging across highly traveled gates is fantastic till I want to use the gate..... :?
 

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