534 Journal of Agriculture . [to Aug., 1910- 



thickness may be used, but it is perishable and may give trouble. A better 

 plan is to use iron of i6-gauge or thereabouts on a timber or iron frame 

 with tarred felt joints. As to the form of bath the general opinion seems- 

 to favour a narrow swim, forcing the sheep to move in single file. For 

 small flocks, however, there is much in favour of the circular bath ; any- 

 how, whatever shape the bath there should be no corners. The circular 

 bath is difficult to build and the one with curved sides is particularly so. 

 The short iron bath of ri\-ete(l iron, which is portable, is very simple, but 

 requires care in its u.se to insure complete dipping of the sheep. Too much 

 stress cannot be laid upon the importance of the sheep being an adequate 

 length of time in the dip. It is also well to bear in mind when constructing 

 that most dips require stirring up at intervals ; whatever design of bath is 

 adopted should permit of this being done easily. 



No. I drawing is the plan of a long swim bath with " walk in "" 

 entrance. This bath is suitable for a large flock. The race, which is level 

 with the ground and connected with the " walk in," is 8 feet long by 

 16 inches wide. The " walk in " has a fall of one in two, ending in a 

 drop 12 inches above bottom of bath. Its width, where connected with 

 race, is same as race, 16 inches, and this gradually widens to 24 inches. 



No. 2 is a " long swim " bath with a slide entrance ; the race, starting 

 from ground level and rising to a height of 3 feet, is 10 feet long. This 

 ends in a slope having a fall of one in one, down which the sheep, being 

 unable to obtain a foothold, slide gently into the bath. The end of bath 

 bemg a continuation of this slope enables the sheep to slide down to the 

 water-level without undue shock, whatever quantity of liquid may be in 

 the bath. A curtain should be hung across the entrance to the bath, so as- 

 to prevent the sheep from seeing the liquid. 



No. 3 is a long swim bath with slide entrance and decoy pen. The 

 race rises in a similar manner to No. 2, but is continued for a few feet on 

 the level and leads to a slide at right angles to race with a decoy pen on 

 the opposite side. The decoy pen, being filled with sheep, induces the 

 other sheep to come forward, and in trying to pass to the decoy pen they 

 slide backward into the bath. The bath in this case is not in the same line 

 as the race, and the width at the entrance is made somewhat larger to give 

 more room for the entrance of the sheep. 



No. 4 is a circular bath. This is very suitable for .small flocks and 

 can be worked by one man. The floor of catching pen should be laid with 

 battens having a slight slope to bath; this will assist the operator in gently 

 pulling the sheep into the bath. The sheep are kept in bath until thoroughly 

 dipped, when a sliding gate at exit is pulled up and the sheep escape into 

 the draining pens. 



No. 5 is a circular bath with a centre ]Mllar. This is suitable for a large- 

 flock. The approaches to it are similar in all respects to those described 

 in No. 3. The advantages claimed for this type of bath are that the .sheep, 

 not being able to see the exit, do not make a wild rush to get out. Also, 

 if the sheep has not been sufficiently dipped by the time it reaches the exit, 

 the gate can be kept closed and the .sheep sent round again. 



No. 6 is a portable bath, suitable for the smallest flock, but capable of 

 dipping a large number of sheep with a small amount of labour. It is 

 constructed of 14-gauge galvanized iron ; the joints are double .soldered and 

 riveted, i^-in. angle iron is riveted around the top to stiffen it, and 3-in. 

 X I -in. battens are bolted to the exit slope to give a foothold to the .sheep.- 



