lo Feb. , 191 1 •] Dipping Bath and Yards for a Small Flock. 



97 



DIPPING BATH AND YARDS FOR A SMALL FLOCK. 



G. A. Sinclair, Principal, Longcrenong Agricultural College. 



Recent legislation has imposed on all farmers the duty of dipping their 

 sheep ; and, in consequence, there will be many dips erected within the 

 next twelve months. Most of the plans in existence are for large flocks, 

 providing a long swim bath, generally of brick, which is not suitable mate- 

 rial for underground structures in many districts, as the movement of the 

 soil soon shatters the walls. 



The plan adopted at this institution is for small flocks only, and about 

 800 sheep per day can be put through comfortably and thoroughly. We 

 are indebted to a well known Tasmanian sheep breeder, Mr. F. Burbury, 

 of Ashgrove, for the general idea of the yards, and the details worked out 

 here may be useful to many at this juncture. Experience has shown that 

 there are objections to the usual style of dipping yards with a long race 

 often feeding upwards and thus entailing much handling and bruising of 

 sheep, ending in a sudden drop into the dip, and a long climb out at the 

 other end. These are well known to most farmers ; and the aim in this 

 plan was to avoid these drawbacks as much as possible. 



DIPPING BATH FOR SMALL FLOCK.S. 

 (Out of tlie },'round.) 



I'lif galvanized iron dip used cost ^7 15s. in Melliourni-. anil was 

 built there by a local manufacturer. The whole of the work is on one 

 general ievi-l. The floor of the draining pens has a fall of 1 inch from 

 the centre to each side, where a drain catches the li(]uid dripping from 

 the sheep aufl runs it into two wells (w.w.). «iich drain having a fall of 

 2 inches from back to front. The li(|uid is pumped from the wells back 

 into the dip with a (^aliforiiiaii pump mad*- by a local plumlxT. The 

 bottom f)f tile i)ump is closed and perforated to keep out any dirt. When 

 ordering the bath it would be advi.sable to stipulate for a curved j)ipe t(» 

 be put in at the end near the top' at s which should lead to a shallow 

 opening at c. covered with a grating. If the drains are led to this, 

 the liquid flraining off the sheep will run back to the bath bv gravitation. 

 The pipe should be ^ Iik hes in diameter. 



1894^. 1. 



