CLiK EXTRA brings fly strike prevention to a new level

The Dempsey family from The Leap, near Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, has been intimately associated with the use of pour-on blowfly prevention treatments going back over the past 20 years.

They had first-hand experience of the improvements that have been secured regarding the use of these products during that time.

“Traditionally, we would have dipped all the sheep on the farm. When we moved to using a pour-on, we found this to be a major step forward in delivering blowfly control,” Robert Dempsey explained.

“Obviously, it took away all the hassle and workload associated with dipping. CLiK™ was the next product to make its mark; it gave even better protection against blowfly strike.

“However, last year’s launch of CLiK EXTRA broke new ground again. It gives me control for longer, which is crucially important for busy flock owners during the summer months,” he added.

Robert Dempsey and his family on their farm in Co. Tipperary

Robert pointed out that CLiK EXTRA can be applied to younger lambs that little bit earlier in the season.

Continuing, he said: “This means I actually apply smaller dose rates of the product with the re-assurance that the active ingredient will continue to do its job while the lambs continue to grow.

“CLiK EXTRA spreads throughout the growing fleece as the lamb develops,” he added.

Robert runs a mixed suckler beef, sheep and tillage enterprise. His breeding flock comprises of 180 ewes; a mix of Texel, Suffolk, Mule and Mayo Mountain crosses.

The Tipperary-based farmer uses a selection of Suffolk, Charollais and Vendeen rams during the breeding season; lambing gets underway during the last week of March.

“We shear the ewes at the end of May, at which time the lambs are treated for blowfly. We treat all the ewes on the farm at the end of June. Our aim is to start drafting finished lambs for sale before the end of July,” he explained.

“Maintaining the highest possible growth rates with the lambs is crucial to the success of the sheep enterprise. The last thing we need, in this regard, is a problem with maggots; thankfully, this has never been the case over the past number of years.”

Like many other Irish sheep producers, Robert was very conscious of the fact that last summer’s wet conditions were very conducive to blowflies. It is the main external parasite traditionally affecting sheep in the summer months.

Robert continued: “I was extremely happy with the performance that we achieved from CLiK EXTRA last year. Once we get into the late summer period, the cereal harvest takes precedence. I don’t need the extra workload of treating and checking lambs for maggots at that time of the year.

“Effective prevention is the only way of keeping Blowfly problems at bay. An infestation of maggots will easily kill a growing lamb and severely impact on the body condition of a breeding ewe.

“This is when CLiK EXTRA really comes into its own. It represents a one-off treatment, preventing blowfly problems for the entire season. This is an insurance policy which all sheep farmers should avail of,” he concluded.