Every summer, the hottest topic within the beef industry is Fly Control. Since flies have become resistant to nearly all of the toxic chemicals that were created to control them, fly problems have done nothing but get worse over the last 40-plus years. Every year, everyone is frantically looking for the latest toxic chemical to control their ever-increasing fly problems. Why does the beef industry continue to treat the symptoms of the problem while it totally ignores the problem? Beef producers have been programmed by companies that sell inputs to treat the symptoms while ignoring the problem. If problems of this nature are ever solved, it would put a few chemical companies out of business.

To my knowledge, no one else in the seedstock industry has even thought about selecting cattle for genetic fly resistance. Pharo Cattle Company has been doing it for two decades. While others continue to treat the symptoms of the problem with toxic chemicals, we are helping you solve the problem.

If you want to speed up the selection for genetic fly resistance, I suggest you identify the cows in your herd that have the heaviest fly loads. There will be a big difference between cows in your herd. However, you will not be able to identify your worst cows or your best cows if you have already treated them for flies. Sell your worst cows every year – and purchase bulls that have a 4+ or 5-star rating for fly resistance. In less than five years, you will have a herd that is genetically resistant to the dreaded horn fly.