[Blackbelly] fly season approaches

[Carol J. Elkins]

Cecil, I'm ramping up for fly season again and retrieved an email you 
posted last July regarding two fly-prevention techniques. I have a 
couple questions:


1. Re your mix of permethrin and mineral oil--I checked Wikipedia 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil) to learn more about 
mineral oil, and it is listed as an effective insecticide, a good 
laxitive, and (when scented) is sold as baby oil. Whether or not I 
want my sheep smelling like babies' butts, I was wondering if having 
an oil streak on their back would cause them to be greasy or taint 
the meat in any way.


2. Did you develop your own version of scarlet oil spray using 
eucalyptus oil and citronella? If so, did it work and did the sheep 
object to smelling not-like-sheep?


I am considering purchasing a cow rub (http://www.phwhite.com/) and 
was wondering which solution you think would be the best to use with it.


Carol

At 07:59 PM 7/24/2007, you wrote:

Carol:
I use permethrin  and add 1 oz to 1 qt of mineral oil and out it down
their backs.   I just drill a small hole in the bottle cap and  give
them a line down their backs. ...I gave the little
guy a line of scarlet spray down his back  and also my 2 dogs that were
being eaten up by flies.  This is 5 days later and I have no fly problem
on these animals. ... Scarlet oil has a lot
of eucalyptus oil in it.  I have ordered eucalyptus oil and citronella
and I am going to try to make a spray for them.


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Re: [Blackbelly] fly season approaches

[Cecil Bearden]

I did not get a chance to try the citronella eucalyptus and lemon oil as 
much as I would like.  Aromatics can be toxic.  Mineral oil for laxative 
is purer than the mineral oil for oil spray on plants, but about 1/3 the 
price.  The plant spray has to meet USDA requirements.  The laxative 
only has to meet FDA requirements!!


I have not noticed any behavior problems with any spray so far.  I have 
found that if you want to get a ewe to claim another lamb, smear Vicks 
or mentholatum etc on the lambs and on the ewes nose 2 to 3 times a day. 
In 3 to 4 days she will claim the lamb.  It gives the lamb time to get 
the ewe's milk into its system and smell like her.  I switched a lamb 
from a mother that did not want her baby to one that had lost hers 
before the live lamb had a chance to suck the colostrum.  I had no 
problem getting her to take it immediately.  I think the colustrum from 
the ewe causes the lamb to have her scent.


Cecil in OKla
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