Online Learning – FlyBoss Tools

Use this tool to see when flies are the highest risk in your environment, review shearing and crutching times, and choose the best time for treatment.

Exercise 1a: Assess the average seasonal flystrike risk for this area

• Ensure the fields are set to no shearing, no crutching, no treatment, and breech modification: none.
• Press the calculate button.

A graph showing average flystrike risk relative to the highest risk period for your chosen location will appear, showing breech, body and other strike.

You may like to copy, save or make a note of this risk period.

Exercise 1b: See how shearing changes the level of flystrike risk.

• Set the shearing date to your shearing date or a typical date for the location. Ensure the other fields are set to no crutching, no treatment, and breech modification: none.
• Press the calculate button.

Estimate how much flystrike risk has been removed.

Repeat the process for 2 or 3 more different shearing times to see how they change the level of flystrike risk for this location.

Exercise 1c: See how shearing plus crutching changes the level of flystrike risk.

• Set the shearing date to your own or one typical for the location and now also include your own or a typical time for first crutching.
• Ensure the fields are set to no (second) crutching, no treatment, and breech modification: none.
• Press the calculate button.

Estimate how much flystrike risk has been removed.

Repeat the process for more scenarios: 1 or 2 different first crutching times, with no second crutching and then 1 or 2 scenarios with both a first and second crutching. See how these change the level of flystrike risk for this location.

Exercise 1d: See how breech modification changes the level of flystrike risk.

• Set the shearing date and crutching date to your own or one typical for the location.
• Ensure the second crutching and the treatment fields are no.
• Alter the breech modification to ‘Mulesed’
• Press the calculate button.

Estimate how much flystrike risk has been removed.

Repeat the process for different breech modifications: Clips and Intradermal.

See how these change the level of flystrike risk for this location.

Exercise 1e: See how treatments change the level of flystrike risk.

• Set the shearing date and crutching date to your own or one typical for the location.
• Ensure the second crutching field is no crutching.
• Set the breech modification to None.
• Alter the first chemical treatment by choosing a treatment product and a date typical of what you already do or what is done in your area.
• Press the calculate button.

Estimate how much flystrike risk has been removed.

Now go further down page and press the ‘Optimise timing of treatments’ button.

Note the new treatment date and estimate how much flystrike risk has been removed. This button maintains whatever treatment you chose, but changes the application date if it can find a date that results in an overall reduction in flystrike risk.

Repeat the process for different treatments. Read More

This tool allows you to directly compare the level of flystrike risk from two systems of management at the same time.

Exercise 2a: Assess the average seasonal flystrike risk for your chosen system in this location.

• In the left column of the table, change the options to your current system of management or one that is typical for your area.
• Now press the button just below the table: Copy Management System One to System Two.
• Press the next button down: Compare Management
• This should show a red line (System One) and a blue line (System two) superimposed on each other, showing the flystrike risk for the options you have chosen.

Exercise 2b:  See how altering shearing date changes the level of flystrike risk.

• Alter the shearing date in the Right side of the table.
• Press the Compare Management Button.

Which system provides the lowest overall flystrike risk?

Exercise 2c:  See how altering crutching date changes the level of flystrike risk.

• Press the Copy Management System One to System Two button to make both sides the same again.
• Alter the crutching date in the Right side of the table.
• Press the Compare Management Button.

Which system provides the lowest overall flystrike risk?

Exercise 2d:  See how altering first chemical treatment changes the level of flystrike risk.

• Press the Copy Management System One to System Two button to make both sides the same again.
• Alter the chemical treatment (add a treatment if you previously had none), but keep the date the same in the Right side of the table.
• Press the Compare Management Button.

Which system provides the lowest overall flystrike risk?

Exercise 2e:  See how altering chemical treatment date changes the level of flystrike risk.

• Press the Copy Management System One to System Two button to make both sides the same again.
• Maintain the same chemical treatment (use the treatment as for exercise 4 if there was initially no treatment), but alter its application date in the Right side of the table.
• Press the Compare Management Button.

Which system provides the lowest overall flystrike risk?

Exercise 2f: See how altering a variety of options changes the level of flystrike risk.

• Press the Copy Management System One to System Two button to make both sides the same again.
• Change a number of options and or their dates.
• Press the Compare Management Button.

Which system provides the lowest overall flystrike risk?

Repeat to experiment with various management changes. Read More

The Products Tool allows you to find treatment products based on whether they are for lice, flies or both; their method of application; and their chemical group. The results show a list of commercial products, each with its active chemical and group and the targeted parasite; and these

• Sheep Rehandling Interval (SHI)
• Meat Withholding Period (WHP)
• Export Slaughter Interval (ESI)
• Largest pack size
• Typical retail price
• Cost of product for a 50 kg sheep.

Exercise 3a: Search for treatment products

Go to FlyBoss Tools and choose the Products Tool.

• Select the method of application button and choose ‘Hand-Jetting’ from the dropdown menu.
• Select ‘Fly’ as the parasite to target
• Leave all of the chemical groups ticked.

(Note: To assist in slowing the development of chemical resistance to products, use a different chemical group each year.)

• Press Update Display.
• View the alternatives:
• Note the variety of prices (on a c/sheep basis).

Q: Can you see (from the table) any reason why you might choose one of the more expensive products?

A: The more expensive products tend to have shorter times for SHI, WHP and ESI. They can be given closer to slaughter, sale or shearing times.

Exercise 3b: Search for treatment products suitable in a dip.

• Use the Exercise 3a instructions:
• Change the application method to Dip for fly
• Press Update display

Q: What do you notice the listed products have in common?

A: While there are numerous brands, they are all contain the same active chemical; cyromazine is the only chemical registered for use against flystrike in a dip. As a result, all the associated details including price are the same.

Exercise 3c: Search for treatment products suitable for struck sheep.

• Use the Exercise 3a instructions
• Change the application method to Flystrike dressing
• Press Update display

Note: Some products do not have costs as the information has not been supplied to FlyBoss.

Q: Based on the product names, how many methods of applying a dressing can you see?

A: Five—Aerosol, jetting fluid, liquid dressing, spray, powder.

This tool allows you to assess the likely level of chemical residue in the wool at shearing, based on a particular treatment.

Exercise 4a: Calculate the chance of exceeding targeted wool residues levels using your current management.

• Go to FlyBoss Toolsand choose the Wool Res Tool
• Type in a mob name, then select the following from the drop-down menus:
• your state
• shearing month and week
• treatment month and week
• next shearing month and week
• application method
• product used ( this menu will adjust after you choose the application method)
• In the Target section, choose APVMA Aust
• Press the calculate button

What is the probability that your management and treatment selection will result in wool that exceeds the allowable wool residue level of the chosen target?

Exercise 4b: Calculate the likely residues levels in wool with different management and residue targets.

• Complete the inputs as for exercise 4a, with these changes:
• Change the target to APVMA UK.

Has this increased or decreased the chance that the wool will exceed the target residue levels?

• Change the month of treatment, so it is 3 months closer to the next shearing.

Has this increased or decreased the chance that the wool will exceed the target residue levels? Read More