I've been using DE to try to fight the flies and it is having no effect. Check the archives a month or so ago for a good discussion on fly elimination.
I purchased a product called Sweet PDZ. It is an all natural, non-toxic odor control for horse stalls and contains DE as well as other stuff. It's too soon to determine if it will work; I spread some around last weekend and the urine smell in the back of my barn is still really strong. But I've been told that is one of the best products around. We've had a lot of rain here (YEAH!) and the humidity is really high along with 100+ degree temps so hopefully when it dries out, part of the problem will go away. I don't have any experience or knowledge of how mist lines work, but I'm thinking that your blackbellies would probably do better in the dry heat than moist heat. And inside a metal shed, you might be par-boiling them with the mist. I don't see any way to combine a dirt floor with water and not get mud, flies, and nasty odor. If they have any shade from a tree, I think they would do better outside unless you can spray the shed with permethrin to kill the flies. I've been doing that in my small barn and it is better...still not great but definitely better. By the way, I'd be willing to bet you have American Blackbelly sheep rather than Barbados Blackbelly; there are fewer than 200 Barbados Blackbelly sheep in the U.S. It is an important distinction, and there is a tremendous amount of misinformation and confusion around. So help spread the word! Carol At 07:10 PM 7/25/2006 -0400, you wrote: >It's true. I'm new. Anyone have recommendations on where best to install a >mist line in a dirt floor sheep stable? >...Definitely going to try the DE tomorrow. I'm told K-Mart has AquaChem >brand of DE that is food grade. >The breeder we bought the sheep from said to use it for parasites. Sounds >like it's good for flies too - Yea! Carol Elkins Critterhaven--Registered Barbados Blackbelly Hair Sheep (no shear, no dock, no fuss) Pueblo, Colorado http://www.critterhaven.biz T-shirts, mugs, caps, and more at the Barbados Blackbelly Online Store http://www.cafepress.com/blackbellysheep _______________________________________________ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
