Breeding for flystrike resistance workshop

The ClassiFly™️ workshop is suitable for any woolgrower that is looking to improve their understanding of what is involved in breeding sheep that are resistant to flystrike, regardless of their climate, and operating and husbandry environments.

Improving a sheep’s natural resistance to flystrike through breeding reduces the risk of flystrike in both mulesed and non-mulesed sheep, reducing labour and reliance on chemical use, mulesing and crutching. These activities are generally the most labour intensive and costly tools so reducing reliance on these can improve productivity and profitability, along with improving the lifetime welfare of sheep.

The one-day workshop, delivered by AWI-accredited advisors in partnership with the AWI Extension Networks in each state, demonstrates there are both genetic and non-genetic factors that influence a sheep’s susceptibility to flystrike which are described in the workshop as ‘breech traits’, ‘wool quality traits’, ‘conformation traits’ and ‘management traits’.

Over the course of the day, workshop attendees learn about the different traits, the risk they present for flystrike, the phenotypic expression of the trait and how to class and select animals for these traits using visual assessment or Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs), or a combination of both.

The ClassiFly™️ workshop is available now.

Woolgrowers Richard Keniry of Kildara Pastoral Company and Michael Field of T A Field Estates at a ClassiFly pilot workshop at Cowra, discussing the different traits that make sheep more susceptible to flystrike.

AWI’s Flystrike Extension Program

ClassiFly™️ is the fourth of six extension initiatives being released under AWI’s Flystrike Extension Program. Woolgrowers can pick and choose how to get involved with the different components of the program that best suits their requirements, sheep type, climate, operating environment and husbandry practices.

The three previous components of the Extension Program, which are available to woolgrowers to support their flystrike management, are:

1. It’s Fly Time!™️ – Practical, just-in-time flystrike management information in the lead up to, and during, high-risk flystrike periods.
2. DemystiFly™️ – Practical information about managing chemical resistance in blowflies.
3. SimpliFly™️ – A one-day workshop to develop a property-specific, strategic flystrike management plan.

The fifth component of the Extension Program is the one-day StrateFly™️ workshop for woolgrowers to develop a property-specific, whole-of-farm strategy if they are moving to a non-mulesed enterprise. The workshop is currently being piloted and will be available across Australia later this year.

The final component of the Extension Program is AmpliFly™️. This will provide one-on-one coaching and support from a trained and accredited advisor to assist you to implement, monitor and improve your whole-of-farm plan for preventing and controlling flystrike. This will also be available later in 2024.

Where do I find more information?

Access the It’s Fly Time!^TM and DemystiFly^TM resources, and further information about the AWI Flystrike Extension Program, at www.wool.com/flystrikeresources.

To find out when there is going to be SimpliFly™, ClassiFly™ and StrateFly™ workshops available near you, contact the AWI Extension Network in your state and sign up to their free newsletters. You can find your AWI Extension Network at www.wool.com/networks or call the AWI Helpline on 1800 070 099.

For more detailed information on flystrike management, including access to interactive decision support tools, visit www.flyboss.com.au

For information on AWI’s flystrike research, development and extension program, visit www.wool.com/flystrike

This article appeared in the March 2024 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.