Calf pens and hutches provide an ideal environment for flies. Not only do flies spread disease to calves, but they also cause the calf discomfort and stress, reducing feed intake and affecting the health and growth of your calves. Land O’Lakes Purina Feed calf and heifer specialist Gary Geisler, offers the following management tips to reduce your calf housing’s fly population.

An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan is the most cost-effective way to reduce fly populations and the stress they cause the calf.  


• Since flies lay eggs in manure, consider using a feed-through larvicide in both milk replacer and calf starter to break the fly lifecycle.  


• Add the feed-through larvicide to your calf feed program 30 days before the fly season starts and 30 days after a killing frost.


Source: Land O'Lakes Purina Feed