SHEEP SCAB. 27 



granulate or heal before dippings It may be stated that experience 

 has demonstrated that when sheep are properly dipped in accordance 

 with the rules of best practice in any of the approved dips, the loss 

 or damage is practically nil. 



The question often arises as to the proper age at which lambs 

 should be dipped to get the best results and cause the least damage. 

 When the average lamb in a flock is 1 month old it is perfectly safe 

 to dip the flock provided the lambs are dodged out and dipped 

 separately. xVny slight shrinkage caused at this time will be quickly 

 regained and the lambs will grow and thrive much more rapidly 

 after being freed of the irritation caused by the scab mites. If 

 the work is properly done and the sheep carefully handled, pregnant 

 ewes may with safety be dipped any time up to Avithin one month 

 of lambing. 



There has been much controversy and argument concerning the 

 effects that various dips have on the wool, and many experiments 

 have been conducted and observations made over wide areas. The 

 general opinion among the unprejudiced seems to be that the various 

 well-known dips properly prepared and used injure the wool very 

 little, if any. It is necessary to eradicate scab to make wool growing 

 profitable or even possible. Lime-and-sulphur and nicotin-and- 

 sulphur are among the dips that have proved effective and have been 

 generally used as scab eradicators, both in this and in other sheep- 

 growing countries. It is therefore considered that any slight damage 

 they may cause to the avooI is more than equaled by their good effects 

 in eradicating scab. 



CLEANING AND DISINFFXTING PREMISES. 



All premises occupied by scabby sheep will become infectious. 

 Tags of wool which often carry mites and eggs are <3onstantly being 

 pulled out. Old bed grounds, corrals, sheds, or any place where 

 infected sheep have been confined or held until the manure has ac- 

 cumulated are especially dangerous. It is prol)able that bright sun- 

 light kills the mites, but if they can get under manure or anything 

 that affords shade, moisture, and protection the infection may re- 

 main for as long as one year. Sheep free from infection should not 

 be allowed on infectious premises. Old' bed grounds, corrals, and 

 other places of close confinement should be avoided unless they have 

 been cleaned and disinfected. Ranges, pastures, trails, and grounds 

 around watering places exposed to the sunlight probably do not, as 

 a rule, remain infectious longer than 30 to 60 days. It is well, how- 

 ever, to avoid places over which infected sheep have passed. Such 

 places, as well as old bed grounds on the range, can not be disin- 

 fected, or at least it is not practicable to do so, and therefore they 



