Advice On Dipping

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30082, 16 March 1963, Page 7

Advice On Dipping

Some ot the reasons why sheep offered for «ale were found to be infested with lice were discussed this week by Mr C. E. Broad, livestock instructor of the Department of Agriculture at Ashburton. He said that since February

14. ,15 different lines of sheep had been found to be infested with lice at the Ashburton saleyards and in line with current departmental policy they had been returned to their owners’ properties for dipping. Mr Broad said that some farmers only dipped the sheep that they were keeping and did not bother to dip the sheep that were being sold. Some farmers had not yet dipped their flocks as required by the Stock Act between August 1 and April 30 each year.

A very disturbing matter was the ignorance of the farmer as to what constituted legal dipping in terms of the Stock Act Dusting, tip-spray-ing and showering had to be done within three months of shearing. One dipping company, however, clearly recommended that lice-infested sheep should be tip-sprayed no later than 14 days after shearing and where sheep were known to be free of lice and keds within six weeks of shearing.

Plunge dipping of sheep might be done, regardless of wool growth, at any time between August 1 and April 30 in any year, but it was most economical to plunge dip about six weeks after shearing when shearing cuts had healed and less dip was required due to the amount of wool carried. Mr Broad said that farmers should dip not only in accordance with the Stock Act but also strictly in line with manufacturers’ instructions and care should be taken to see that every sheep on a property was dipped at the one time. Where complete eradication was the target, area and block dipping of sheep was strongly recommended by the department, particularly where there were geographical boundaries which prevented straying of sheep. Under this system all flocks in a given area would be dipped simultaneously or one immediately after the other. This would eliminate the obvious source of reinfestation of flocks efficiently dipped by sheep from flocks dipped later within the period required by the Stock Act but outside the residual period of protection provided by the particular dips used.