Cattle producers Alan and Maree Thomsett of Aldaree Cattle Co. have designed an innovative new product targeting parasites on livestock.
“We had cattle going down with three day sickness throughout summer and with me away a lot of the time, we had to work out a convenient and effective control method that would be easy for Maree to handle on her own,” Mr Thomsett said.
The idea started as a modified back-rubber and after testing and modifying it for their own use, the couple noticed a lot of people were also having trouble with fly and decided it might be worth sharing their design with them.
Alan and Maree have been amazed by the reaction to Fly Gone. The orders just keep coming in, and they have sold over 300 units since December.
There are a number of factors that set Fly Gone apart from other back-rubbers. Fly Gone is waterproof, so insecticide doesn’t get diluted in wet weather, and units can be hung anywhere out in the paddock.
The ‘curtain’ design means the entire beast’s face, body and legs are treated by contact with the vertical wicks, and animals of any size or height can use it, including goats, llamas, sheep and horses. The design’s 20 litre reservoir enables 1 unit to treat up to 100 head of cattle and achieve full coverage on animals for 4-6 weeks in between refills, which can be done at ground level.
“Operators can use a range of dips, but we recommend ‘Organic Cattle Coat,’ an Australian made product with no withholding period for meat or milk, which is sold in all rural stores.
“Cattle Coat has a pleasant, citronella smell and we find cattle adapt to it fairly quickly, usually within 24-48 hours. If animals are proving a little reluctant, some of the wicks can be tied up out of the way until they familiarise themselves with the unit.”
See Fly Gone for yourself on site OS103 during the 2021 Farm Fantastic Expo.