Sheep Jetting in the Riverina

Jetting applies a chemical treatment through the wool to the skin — usually with a hand-piece or a jetting race — to protect sheep against flystrike and lice. The pressure drives the chemical down into the fleece.

Both jetting and dipping apply insecticide to sheep as protection against external parasites including blowflies and lice, but they differ significantly in method and practicality. Jetting uses a hand-held or race-mounted applicator to direct chemical solution onto specific areas of the sheep, making it well suited to targeted flystrike protection in a yard setting. Dipping involves fully immersing sheep in a chemical solution and provides more complete coverage of the whole fleece, but requires a purpose-built dip and is less commonly used in modern sheep management. Jetting is the more practical and widely used option for most Riverina producers.

The duration of protection provided by sheep jetting depends on the product used, the application rate and the wool length at the time of treatment. Most jetting products provide effective protection for between six and twelve weeks under normal conditions, though this can be reduced by heavy rainfall that washes chemical from the fleece or by significant wool growth that dilutes the concentration of active compound at the skin surface. Reading the product label carefully and planning your jetting program around realistic protection periods for your conditions gives you the most accurate picture of when retreatment will be needed.

Jetting and crutching complement each other as part of a broader flystrike management program and work most effectively when used together rather than as alternatives. Crutching removes the soiled and stained wool that attracts blowflies in the first place, addressing the physical conditions that create strike risk. Jetting then applies a chemical barrier that protects the treated areas against fly strike even when some soiling is present. Relying on jetting alone without keeping sheep crutched through high-risk periods reduces the overall effectiveness of your flystrike management and increases the chemical load needed to maintain adequate protection.

Mainly flystrike (blowfly maggots in the wool and skin) and often lice — both of which cause serious welfare and production problems if left unchecked.

Generally heading into and during the warm, humid fly season, and when sheep are higher risk (long wool, dags, wet conditions).