Flystrike (myiasis) causes severe suffering in sheep and is a significant welfare problem requiring active prevention across all flocks.
Flystrike causes excruciating suffering — maggots eat into living tissue rapidly, causing toxic shock and death within days if untreated. The condition is almost entirely preventable with active management. Delays in checking sheep during warm weather, especially in remote or large flocks, allow cases to progress to severe stages. Appropriate preventive treatments, combined with good fleece management and wound treatment, protect sheep from this devastating condition.