BETWEEN El Nino being declared and rainfall levels falling well below average, Mallee and northern Victoria woolgrowers are facing the next inevitable threat – flystrike.
They will be turning to the Flystrike Extension Program, designed to support woolgrowers to improve the lifetime welfare of their sheep, reduce their reliance on mulesing and crutching, optimise chemical use, and increase whole-farm profitability through the provision of practical information and tools and access to accredited advisor support on flystrike management.
There are currently four components available under AWI’s Flystrike Extension Program available to woolgrowers to support their flystrike management: (1) It’s Fly Time! resources, (2) DemystiFly resources, (3) SimpliFly workshops and (4) ClassiFlyTM workshops, while two other components are under development.
Woolgrowers can pick and choose how to get involved with the different components of the program that best suits their requirements, sheep type, climate, operating environment and husbandry practices.
It’s Fly Time!
Just-in-time flystrike management resources
THESE popular resources provide practical and tactical information for woolgrowers on integrated flystrike management in the lead up to, and during, high-risk flystrike periods. They include tips for preventing flystrike, information on prioritising sheep for monitoring and treatment, and options for treating sheep when flystrike does occur.
The resources include a recording of the It’s Fly Time! webinar (1 hour) and presentation slides, plus factsheets on ‘Recognising and monitoring flystrike’ (4-pages) and ‘Preventing and treating flystrike’ (4-pages).
DemystiFly
Managing chemical resistance resources
THERE are only a small number of chemical groups registered for flystrike control, so it is important to prolong the usefulness of these chemicals for as long as possible. By implementing resistance management strategies, woolgrowers can slow the development of resistance, which will help maintain the effectiveness of the currently registered chemical products.
AWI has made available a range of practical information resources about blowfly chemical resistance to ‘demystifly’ this complex, yet important, issue. They include factsheets, guides and producer case studies for both non-mulesed and mulesed sheep.
SimpliFly
Strategic flystrike management workshop
SIMPLIFLY is a one-day workshop, delivered by AWI-accredited advisors in partnership with AWI’s state grower extension networks, to help woolgrowers reduce the incidence and impact of flystrike on their flocks and profits. During the workshop, woolgrowers will learn about the range of tools available in their flystrike management toolbox and how to use them in combination.
Throughout the day, attendees work through developing a strategic flystrike management plan and annual calendar that incorporates both short- and long-term tools specific to their property.
ClassiFly
Breeding for flystrike resistance workshop
ClassiFly is a one-day workshop, delivered by AWI-accredited advisors in partnership with AWI’s state grower extension networks, to help woolgrowers breed for more natural and profitable flystrike resistance. The workshop demonstrates there are both genetic and non-genetic factors that influence a sheep’s susceptibility to flystrike which are described in the workshop as ‘breech traits’, ‘wool quality traits’, ‘conformation traits’ and ‘management traits’.
Over the course of the day, workshop attendees learn about the different traits, the risk they present for flystrike, the phenotypic expression of the trait and how to class and select animals for these traits using visual assessment or Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs), or a combination of both.
AWI is also developing two more components of the AWI Flystrike Extension Program:
StrateFly: A one-day workshop to develop a property-specific, whole-of-farm strategy for moving to a non-mulesed enterprise.
AmpliFly: One-on-one coaching and support from a trained and accredited advisor to assist growers to implement, monitor and improve their whole-of-farm plan for preventing and controlling flystrike.
Further details from www.wool.com/flystrikeresources.
