FARM SHOWER DIPS FOR SHEEP

Southland Times, Issue 23374, 4 December 1937, Page 19

FARM SHOWER DIPS FOR SHEEP

Stock inspectors in New South Wales were recently visiting numbers of holdings with a view to making inquiries into the efficacy of what are known as shower dips, which are really shower baths taking the place of dips. There was one aspect to which several inspectors had directed attention, and that was that unless the equipment used included what was known as a belly spray there was often portion of the sheep comparatively dry at the end of the spraying operations. If this was the case it would naturally interfere with the efficacy of the procedure. In connection with the departmental campaign against external parasites of sheep many reasons were at times set forward why it was not possible to dip all sheep at the same time. Among these difficulties there was stressed the question of dipping ewes heavy in lamb. One of the inspectors reported two interesting observations in connection with this matter. In one case 4296 stud ewes were dipped between August 30 and September 3. These ewes were due to begin lambing on the latter date, and actually 26 did lamb on the night of September 3. No losses were experienced. In another case 18,903 flock ewes, which were due to begin lambing on September’ 15, were dipped between August 25 and September 6, again without losses. No doubt in dipping such sheep care in handling was requisite, and it had been found, both with cattle and sheep, that the damage done by rough handling usually far exceeded any loss caused by the actual dipping itself.