ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE............EVER.....!!
FLIES......... I hate flies...........!!!! This year I'm trying something different. I am getting twice as many fly predators each month as I have before. As of now I have not hung any fly traps on the property at all. I was talking to Ed at the feed store, and he said why would I want to invite flies in? Since he is in the business of selling among other things, fly traps, I figured it couldn't hurt to try not using them.
So far I don't think the flies are as bad as they usually are. I'm pretty sure I'd be seeing lots of flies in the traps by now. But I'm not seeing that many on the donkeys. Everyone is wearing fly masks except for Ruger and Wister. They are busy enough taking masks off some of the other guys. I'm pretty sure if they had masks on, they wouldn't last till lunch time. LOL So they can fight the few flies around, for awhile, maybe then they will appreciate their masks, although I doubt it.
Quite a few of the donkeys will walk to you when they see you carrying a mask and lower their heads. I assume they have put 2 and 2 together and appreciate the masks. I just wish they would learn, when someone takes a mask off, that someone........anyone would pick it up and bring it to the house. I'd be willing to trade the fly mask for animal crackers.........!!!! Sure would save John a lot of walking, he's bound and determined to find any and all missing masks. So far I think he's found 2 that were missing from last year, and has 2 or 3 missing from this year that he can't find. Gives him something to do I guess.
Having said that, the flies not being as bad, does not mean there aren't flies. And some of them are stable flies, which aren't attracted to the traps anyway. A few days ago I wrapped Quilla's front legs because one of them had fly damage. This morning I wrapped Penny's front legs. Stable flies usually stay below the knees, but she has scarring above the knee and they were starting on her. I have at least 3 more that will probably have to be wrapped before it's over with, but for now they are doing OK.
2 comments:
Hmmm... perhaps the ONLY thing that is good about this late blooming spring in our area. However - they WILL come! What do you use to wrap your donkey's legs with?
Over the years I've tried lots of different things. If you don't live in brush country athletic socks with the toes cut out, pulled up above the knee work pretty good. Doesn't take a lot of effort, if they start slipping down, just pull them back up, maybe roll the top a little bit. I've even used tape or vet wrap to keep them up.
Polo wraps work really well and the donkeys don't seem to mind them. I can put them on and not have to re-do them for days. In my case we are talking about legs that have very little or no hair on them. If there was hair, you'd had to make sure the hair was straight etc.
My latest brain storm is brown vet gauze, wrapped and taped. It's very lightweight and airy, BUT....it's so flimsy if they are active, a lot of laying down a rolling, or the boys entertaining the girls, the brown gauze doesn't hold up very well.
If you want to try it, I'd start with the socks to see if it works for you and for them.
Post a Comment