Improved Welfare and Disease Management on Organic Dairies through Fly Control
Project Director
Wes Watson
Year Funded
2019
Award Number
2019-51300-30240
Funded Institution
North Carolina State University
Grant Program
OREI (Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative)
USDA NIFA Report
Project Overview
Mastitis and pink eye hurt dairy cow health and milk production, and effective management to minimize flies in dairy operations can reduce the incidence and spread of these two diseases. A survey of organic and conventional dairy farmers characterized their understanding of the link between flies and livestock disease and identified current fly management practices. Organic producers reported using neem and essential oils to repel flies, composting manure, and utilizing dung beetles to disperse manure and reduce fly breeding.
Farmer Takeaways
(1) Walk-through fly traps, especially vacuum-assisted systems, substantially reduce fly numbers and associated animal stress on the dairy farm.
(2) Horn flies can damage teat tissue and facilitate entry of mastitis pathogens.
(3) Farmers report that flies contribute to the spread of pink eye.
(4) NOP-compliant fly repellents, manure composting, and dung beetle activity in pasture can reduce fly populations and thereby slow the spread of pink eye and mastitis.
Project Outputs
Denning, S.S., Washburn, S.P. and Watson, D.W. 2014. Development of a novel walk-through fly trap for the control of horn flies and other pests on pastured dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 97(7), pp.4624-4631.
Owens, W.E., Oliver, S.P., Gillespie, B.E., Ray, C.H. and Nickerson, S.C. 1998. Role of horn flies (Haematobia irritans) in Staphylococcus aureus-induced mastitis in dairy heifers. American Journal of Veterinary Research,59(9), pp.1122-1124.