This story has been prepared by Elanco and is being published by The Country as advertorial.
A farmer’s journey to smarter flock protection.
For Charlie Douglas-Clifford, farming runs deep. As the sixth generation to manage Stonyhurst, a North Canterbury institution established by his family 170 years ago, Charlie knows the demands of balancing operational efficiency with a commitment to animal welfare. Stonyhurst is home to 4500 halfbred ewes, and maintaining their health is essential to both the farm’s productivity, and its legacy.
Charlie has seen his fair share of challenges over the years, and acknowledges that flystrike is something that isn’t going away any time soon, saying, “So long as there are flies and so long as the weather keeps getting warmer, fly is still going to be an issue”.
Historically, managing flystrike has been a time-intensive and often uncertain process for Charlie. Regular applications of shorter-term treatments meant more work and less confidence the flock would be protected throughout critical periods. “If you’re trying to walk the gauntlet, you’re on heavy watch,” Charlie says of the challenges flystrike has posed to his operation, noting that as they are a mid-micron flock the concern is twofold – both for the health and welfare of the animals, and also ensuring the wool is not contaminated come shearing time. Charlie explains: “It’s not just the weaker animals that are affected – it can happen to the biggest and strongest sheep too.”
Searching for a solution to this enduring challenge, Charlie sought advice from his vet, who introduced him to Clik Extra. With its extended protection, offering a minimum protection period of 14 weeks, Clik Extra provided assurance that his flock was protected during critical periods. “Having that extended period was very important for us,” Charlie says. “It gives us a much greater degree of certainty to allow for peace of mind during the challenge period.”
Incorporating CliK Extra into his proactive management strategy has given Charlie more breathing room to focus on running his farm. By reducing the time spent on reactive treatments, he can prioritise the wellbeing of his animals and the efficiency of his operation, along with some unexpected benefits. “Ironically the biggest kick out of it is probably for our people,” Charlie says. “We don’t have to push lambs through a jetter at weaning time, when you’ve just weaned lambs off mum, and it’s stinking hot outside and all you want to do is settle the lambs down and get them back into a paddock.”
Charlie’s approach reflects an overall shift towards smarter, longer-term planning in farming, where tools like CliK Extra make a meaningful difference. It is an attitude that Colin McKay, Technical Services Manager with Elanco who has gotten to know Charlie well over the years commends. “Charlie has a great belief in the future of the sheep industry in New Zealand. There is deep commitment there and I take my hat off to him.”
For farmers looking to take a smarter approach to flystrike prevention, Charlie’s advice is simple: “Ask your vet. I’m a great believer of using resources that are at your fingertips, and they’re the experts, they’re the people that read the research, they’re the ones that understand the products and know what the preventions are that are out there.”
- To learn more about CliK Extra, talk to your vet, or visit https://www.elanco.co.nz/products-services/sheep/products/clik-extra.
CliK Extra Spray-On is registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997 No A011384. Always read and follow label instructions. Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates. PM-NZ-24-0349