Livestock Management RANCHING Horn Flies: The $1 Billion Bite at Profi ts
Break the horn fl y life cycle this spring to avoid being robbed of productivity and profi ts.
C
AN YOU IMAGINE BEING BITTEN 120,000 TIMES PER DAY? It might be hard to imagine what this feels like, however, during peak times as many as 4,000
horn fl ies can call a cow’s hide home. At 30 blood meals per day, that adds up to 120,000 bites per cow. Not only are these bites irritating your cows, but with production losses for the U.S. cattle industry estimated at up to $1 billion annually, they are also biting away at your profi ts. “High horn fl y populations can cause blood loss and
increased cattle stress or annoyance,” says Ted Perry, cattle nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition. “An- noyance can cause cattle to use their energy to combat fl ies, change their grazing patterns and cause cattle grouping. Ultimately, it can lead to decreases in milk production, causing a reduction in calf weaning weights.” From ear tags and pour-ons, to mineral or feed supple-
ments with fl y control, there are many different ways to manage fl ies and each solution has a place in the industry, adds Perry. With so many fl y control options available, what is
the best way to break the horn fl y cycle? “The best place to start is by breaking the life cycle in the manure,” says Perry.
Making manure magic One of the most convenient and consistent ways to
control horn fl ies in cattle is giving them a mineral sup- plement that contains an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR). “An IGR passes through the animal and into the
manure, where horn fl ies lay their eggs,” says Perry. “It breaks the horn fl y life cycle by preventing pupae from developing into biting adult fl ies.” Using mineral supplements with an IGR can help re-
duce expenses, labor and stress on your cattle that other methods can cause. Cattle do not need to be rounded up or handled, since IGR is consumed by the animal and fl y control is spread through its manure as it grazes. It also provides consistency, as cattle are regularly consuming IGR through their mineral.
In like a lion, out like a lamb Weather forecasts predict a particularly wet spring and hot summer, a great combination for horn fl y popu-
58 The Cattleman May 2016
lations. Perry says you should act now to keep fl y popula- tions under control this summer and into fall. “Feed a fl y-con-
trol mineral 30 days before the last frost of spring, before fl y emergence,” says Perry. “This 30-day window at the beginning of spring is critical, because temperatures can fl uctuate to levels that cause fl ies to emerge. Once those fl ies are present, you want to have fl y control in the manure.” Perry recommends continuing to feed fl y-control
mineral through summer and 30 days after the last frost in the fall. “You might have an aggressive spring and summer
fl y control strategy, but fi nishing strong in fall is also really important,” he adds. “Horn fl ies overwinter in the pupal stage, which can jump-start adult populations in the spring. Using fl y-control mineral longer in the fall de- creases the opportunity for fl ies to overwinter in the soil and reduces large fl y populations the following spring.”
Don’t let it wash away There are many forms of fl y-control mineral avail-
able, but it is important to choose one that can stand up to the unpredictable weather that spring brings. Rain and other elements can quite literally wash your mineral investment down the drain, or turn your mineral into a brick-type substance which cattle often refuse to eat. Look for a fl y-control mineral that can withstand the
weather. A weatherized mineral should have a large particle size and adequate water and wind resistance. “Using a fl y-control mineral this spring can help keep
fl y populations down, but only if cattle are consuming it. If you are not seeing consumption because the min- eral has been turned into a hard block or because the particles are being blown away, then your investment is a loss,” adds Perry.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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