Results From Dipping And Care To Be Exercised

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18591, 29 December 1934, Page 13

Results From Dipping And Care To Be Exercised

PARE to be exercised in order to secure the best results from dipping sheep is outlined by Mr. \V. T. Collins, Auckland district superintendent of the Live Stock Division, in the Journal of Agriculture. He writes: —

“To free a flock from vermin it is absolutely essential that it be properly dipped’ and not, as appears to be done in some cases, put through a dippingbath simply to comply with the requirements of the Stock Act. It is a waste of money buying dip and a waste of time mustering and putting sheep through a dip unless the dipping fluid is mafic up just as laid down by the makers of the particular dip being used', and all details as to time of immersion, etc., are carried out to tho letter.

“Many owners blame the dip when they fail to get results, but it can bo said safely that in the great majority of cases, if not all, the fault lies with the dipper and not with the makers of tho dip. The Stock Act lays it down that all longwool and crossbred sheep shall be dipped each year in the North Island between January .1 and March 31.

More Than One Dipping. “Although the provisions of the Stocdc Act are complied with if the sheep are dipped once during the above period, there is no reason why they should not bo put through more often. In fact, if the flock is badly infested with keels or lice it is essential that they be dipped at least twice. Poisonous dips should be used, ns these are the only ones that can be relied upon to kill the vermin—especially lice. It is not difficult to kill the adult feeds and lice with poisonous dips, but the eggs, of the feeds and the nits of the lice are much more resistant. to the effect of dips, and therefore another dipping carried put about three weeks after the first one is of value for the destruction of the feeds and lice hatched out subsequently to the first dipping.

“One of the main reasons for failure lo rid sheep of parasites by dipping is flint the job is carried out with far too much hurry, and therefore the animals are not thoroughly immersed in the dip. If good results are to be obtained’ it is necessary for the sheep to be wet right, to tho skin, where the parasites are found. 'Simply wetting the fleece is absolutely useless. When sheep are being put through a longswim dip no trouble should be experienced in ensuring that the fleece is thoroughly saturated provided that the crutch is used and the heads plunged Under once or twice to make sure that the head’ is well wetted. It is where a short dip is used that most of the failures take place. “If the fleece is to bo thoroughly saturated the sheep should be in the dipping-fluid about a minute, but when a short dip is used they arc often through in about a third of this time and before the fluid properly reaches tho skin. Long-swim clips are the best for dipping purposes but aro costly to make and fill, and for this reason are probably justified only where large flocks tiro being handled. Dipping can, hawever, be carried out just as thoroughly in a short, dip provided the job is not hurried and the animals checked on their way through and’ given sufficitpit time in the fluid for the fleece to become well saturated. “Another and quite common reason for failure to get results at dipping time is that insufficient care is taken in making up the dipping fluid and the maker’s instructions are not carried out properly. If good results arc to be obtained it is absolutely essential that the dipping fluid be made up as laid’ down by the makers. Haphazard methods lend to failure to get results, and disappointment to the owners of the flock.

Liquids and Powders. “To get results the correct amouut of concentrated dip, whether powder or fluid, should he mixed' with the right amount of water. To do this it is necessary to know the amount of water the dip will hold and also have the dip graduated .so that water to replace that taken out by the sheep can he measured easily and accurately. When the required water has been added to the dipping-bath, the quantity of concentrate necessary can be added to bring the dipping-fluid up to the required strength. “The method often employed when measuring the capacity of the dip is to put in, say, tOtl gallons of water at, a time and to mark off on the side of the dip or on a rod standing upright in the dip the height to which each Kill gallons reaches. If a graduated rod is used to ascertain the quantity of fluid in a dip the rod should bo shod with metal to prevent wearing •away —it is necessary to use some force to make sure the rod has gone through, the sediment that collects at the bottom of the dip and this tends to shorten the rod, unless properly shod.

“There should be no guesswork in measuring the dipping concentrate. If a fluid concentrate is being used, and a gallon is required, it should be measured'carefully; likewise two gallons. It takes very little extra time to do this, and the results fully compensate for this little extra time and trouble. The same care when measuring is necessary if a powdered concentrate is being used. It takes a little more time and trouble to properly prepare a dipping-fluid when a powder dip is being used than it does with u fluid dip. In the first place, it is necessary to make quite sure that tho powder is thoroughly broken up and does not contain lumps, for if these are left they simply fall to the bottom of the dip and are therefore of no value in bringing the fluid up to the proper strength.

Softening Hard Water. “The powder should bo broken up ns finely as possible and then mixed with sufficient water to bring it to the consistency of thick soup. This is then added to the water and tho dip is thoroughly mixed, making quite sure thn| the plunger goes right to tho bottom of the dip. If the mixing has not been thoroughly carried out, there is always the possibility that the fluid at the top is over strength when first made up, with the result; that the first lot of sheep put through got

badly scalded and losses occar. Later on, if the fluid is left to stand and not kept mixed, the powder gradually falls to the bottom and' the fluid at the lop is below strength, and consequently does not destroy the parasites. “From this it will lie realised how very important it is to mix the dip properly in the first place and keep it mixed during dipping operations. Many appear to be of the opinion that as long as the powder has been thoroughly mixed with the water at the commencement of dipping operations, it is not necessary to use the plunger again during the day, as the very f act that the sheep are going through keeps the ingredients well mixed. Knell, however, is not the case, as there is always the tendency for the powder to fall to the bottom of the dip, and to avoid this the plunger should be used not only at the commencement of dipping operations each day, but also after intervals and after every few hundred sheep have gone through. The powder is in a state of suspension rather than in solution, and the amount that will gravitate to the bottom of the dip even while the sheep are going through is surprising. “The character of the water used in making up the dipping fluid is of great importance. Hard waters do not give good results. If at all possible rain water should be used, but where sufficient is not readily at hand and spring or other hard water has to bo used it should bo softened by the addition of 31b. or 41b. of washing-soda or more according to the hardness of the water, to every 100 gallons. . Hard water does not “take up” the dipping concentrate well, therefore more is precipitated to the bottom and fluid at the top through which the sheep are passing is weak and unsatisfactory loi killing vermin.”