14 FARMERS BULLETIN^ 798. 



condition commonly known as " blood poisoning.'' and the mortality 

 from this cause is high. After the wounds have granulated or heal- 

 ing is well started there is little or no danger from this source. Rough 

 handling of the sheep at the time of dipping results in more harm 

 and damage to the flock than is caused by the dip. When sheep are 

 placed in the dipping vat by hand, the men handling them should be 

 instructed to do so carefully. They should not be allowed to catch 

 the sheep by the ears; this is sometimes done, and has resulted in 

 breaking or bruising the skin, causing the heads to swell after dip- 

 ping, and resulting in considerable death loss. 



Ewes and lambs should not be dipped together ; if put into the vat 

 at the same time the danger of drowning some of the lambs is much 

 greater than when they are dipped separately. The lambs should 

 be " cut out " and dipped separately, and they need not be held in 

 the swim as long as the older sheep. It has been stated that the ewe 

 recognizes her lamb more readily when thej^ are dipped together; 

 this, however, is probably not correct. A ewe recognizes her lamb by 

 smell and not by sight, consequently after the flock has been dipped 

 and the ewes and lambs have been turned in together there is consider- 

 able commotion for a time, as the ewes fail temporarily to recognize 

 their offspring. However, the members of the flock will adjust matters 

 for themselves, and, as a rule, practically every lamb will be recognized 

 by a mother. It often happens that an undipped sheep will jump 

 out of the pens and get in with those that have been dipped. This 

 should be carefully guarded against and all such sheep dipped before 

 the flock leaves the vat. 



Prior to bringing the sheep to the vat for dipping they should be 

 watered and fed so as not to be thirsty or hungry at the time of 

 dipping, although they will probably stand the effects of dipping 

 better if not too full of feed and water at the time dipped. If they 

 are watered and fed 3 to 6 hours before dipping they are likely to 

 be in the best condition for the operation. When the weather is 

 cold or stormy dipping operations should be commenced early in 

 the morning and finished for the day in time to give the last sheep 

 dipped opportunity to dry off before night. During winter weather 

 dipping for the da}^ should be finished by noon, so that the flock 

 may have time to dry off and fill up with feed before night, as a 

 sheep with a full stomach will withstand much cold and hardship. 

 If these precautions are observed sheep may be dipped with reason- 

 able safety during cold weather. 



Bucks should be dipped separately from ewes and lambs. They 

 should not be driven fast and then put into the vat before resting 

 and cooling off. As they succumb very easily in the vat. it is neces- 

 sary to give them careful attention. At the large vats the buck 

 herds usually are dipped first, while the vat is full, so as to afford 

 them more swimming room. 



