# need ideas to lure cattle to use the fly rub I put up



## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

So I would like to be controlling the flies on the cows~ but only my two petty girls are having any of it. The bull is infested~ bad enough to make me feel really bad every time I see him. His pretty white stripe is black at the top from blood and fly strike. In the beginning of summer I could pour out a bag of all stock feed and spray the cattle with permethrin and water mix using a garden sprayer. Well~ the bull decided the grain wasn't worth the spraying. He stands back and watches me....and the rest of the herd stand back and obviously consider that whatever has the bull afraid is not worth the grain either!!

So a neighbor told me if I got one of them fly rubs the cows would use it.
I bought one last night~ hung it up and treated it with the recommended permethrin mixed with diesel fuel (wow that stinks!) My pet cow did a really impressive limbo to get under the rub without touching it and no one else has even considered trying it. I put the mineral block on the other side of the rub but I just don't think that is going to be enticing enough to convince them to under that rub. What would you suggest as being just entirely to irresistible to a herd of cows suspicious of the new cattle rub?


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

I put up a rub also - the cows avoided it like the plague - I also was spraying like you were but I finally decided that diesel fuel/permethrin mix every couple of weeks was going to end up being more expensive than fly ear tags.

I put a tag in each of my cattle's ears and bam! no more flys. It has been about 10 weeks and there are finally a few (less than 20ish) fly's on some of the cattle. The flys build an immunity eventually but I'm hoping that what I have will last until cold enough weather comes.

If it comes down to it I'll spray more of the mixture to hold them at bay.

Ear-tags - best thing I have done for it so far.


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

yeah, on the two petty cows not a problem. On that bull...problem. I'm not willing to try and peirce his ear! Thats why I bought the rub, but I gotta figure out how to get him to use it. He has NO INTEREST whatsoever in going anywhere I ask him or attempt to lure him to go, and the rest of the cows who used to be bribable now seem to be taking thier cues from that bull.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Cheryl, tie it up between an opening that they use daily, such as a gate opening...Top


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

that would probably work, but I don't have one. They are in the upper pasture where all the graze is. I could put them in the lower pasture where there is almost nothing to eat and they would most likely be willing to go through the gate to the upper pasture....

but getting them into the lower pasture everyday so I can them let them back into that upper pasture will be a problem.


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

oh, and I've led one cow that will let me through that gate the rub is on 4 or 5 times now and she hasn't touched the rub yet. Amazing how she can limbo! I can hardly get under it without touching it!


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Put it somewhere they HAVE to go thru it. Like to get to water. They will learn to accept it and likely even seek it out.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

Also add plenty of the "Face Fiypps". They are stripps of absorbent cloth that hang down. It makes a curtain they can easily pass through.

Stand back and look at the back rub at the height and direction a cow would. See if there are any disruptive things, like bright shiny objects, dark shadows or anything flapping that might spook them.

Adjust the height so they barely go under the ends and have to lift the center to get through.

If all looks good, try busting a square bale of hay near it. Make them want to be there instead of forcing them to be there.

I have one hung between two trees in their favorite loafing area and they just love it. Some will walk back and forth under it like they're scratching their back.


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

Cheryl doesn't have trees in that pasture and it's all one open area. Can't make them go under to get to the pond without fencing. They just aren't interested in grain right now or treats. She has it a good height and everything, just no incentive to go under it  Unless they decide they like it and realize it helps, she's got a problem.


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

...a good dog would put those cattle right where you want them. 

...a bad dog, ...your cattle could wind up in the next county.

I'd opt for the good dog, tho the bad dog may not cost as much (up front)...


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

I REALLY like my dogs. They are good dogs. BUT...my cows have already communicated their intent to make the dogs into greasy spots in the pasture if they look too intently at the cattle.

Actually I don't see that chasing the cattle in will help as that will only work sometimes~ so I took the rub down and now I'm trying to convince them that they want to be in the pen where the mineral block is now~ I might buy one of those big protien blocks they are supposed to like and put it in there too~ then once I convince them they want in that pen one of two things will happen. Either I'll put the rub back up then or fly season will be over by then.....

Either way I lose. I know. But I'm not the one being eat up by flies so it's really that stupid bull that loses in the end. The bull is not mine and I have considered hiring some dogs (a guy advertises at my vet) to round that bull up when the time comes to send him home. But not MY dogs! LOL!


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

You have to give them time to get used to the rub! If you have a pen for the mineral and salt block, then the gate to the pen is the place for the rub. Let them have a week to get used to it, then, I think you will see them stopping to rub on it because they learn it stops the biting flies for a bit.


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

Use a mineral tub with fly control in it. Ours like the Kent brand ones....the one at TSC in the blue tub, that lasted forever. The Kent ones, usually eaten up pretty quickly. Think its got more molasses or something, but if they are eating it, it is doing its job.


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

I spotted them in the pen with the mineral block this morning so now they know I've moved the block in there. I'll give them a few more days knowing its in there, and maybe add some other treats in there too~ then I'm gonna put the rub back up and see. I also fed the cow with calves in that pen today~ the rest of the herd showed no interest in going in the pen while I was in there but I'm sure they saw the one cow and the horses in that pen getting some grain. That pen was SUPPOSED to have two entrances and have a catch area on it but that never got finished because of the broken hip this spring. I think I"ll try to finish that up today too~ with the two entrances and the catch area if I can get the cattle IN the pen then I can chase them through the tight area and spray them with insecticide too.


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

SpaceCadet12364 said:


> Use a mineral tub with fly control in it. Ours like the Kent brand ones....the one at TSC in the blue tub, that lasted forever. The Kent ones, usually eaten up pretty quickly. Think its got more molasses or something, but if they are eating it, it is doing its job.


Before I bought that rub I asked TSC if they carried a mineral with fly control in it and they said they did not. Thats why I bought the rub. Ok~ blue tub~ I'm gonna try another TSC cuz thats what my first idea was.


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

can I feed the feed through fly control I give my horses? I was mixing it in Norman and Annabelles feed but then worried with so many stomachs that might hurt them, and everyone eats in one wild scrum in the morning so too hard to keep food apart


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

My tractor supply doesn't have any of the tubs right now~ but she says if none come in on the truck today she will order me one of them. Meanwhile~

I finally got some fly spray on that bull today!! Wow was he bad too. I read that if it's over 50 flies you have a problem~ he had over 50 flies on his forhead alone! I finally convinced him to taste the grain bribe I put out, then when I started spraying him he danced around a little but after a minute I think he realized if felt better to be wet than to be fly bitten and he stood still. I put about a gallon of permethryn/water mix on him. I used so much because I COULD and because this mix has been mixed up and on the porch for a couple weeks with me trying to sneak out and spray him with it every chance I got. He stood there while I soaked him with the spray~ and looked pretty pleased when he sauntered off without a single fly I could see on him....or maybe it was me looking pleased. Stupid bull. Hopefully I'll be able to teach him to use that stupid rub so we don't have to go through this whole mess every week~ but meanwhile at least I finally got the flies off him TODAY!


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

Now that you've convinced him to taste the grain bribe, maybe everything will go better.


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