306 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



These mites on obtaining a position on an animal begin 

 at once to bore into the hide. This creates the intense 

 itching, a crust or scab is formed, the mites move onto 

 the adjoining healthy flesh and thus the disease spreads. 



Sheep afflicted with scabies are easily discovered in 

 a flock. The animals are restless, scratch and rub 

 against posts and walls and bite the itching places un- 

 til in severe cases their noses will be all bloody and 

 the flesh torn and bleeding. It generally shows first 

 about the neck and shoulders, because the suffering ani- 

 mal can more easily reach that part to scratch. The 

 wool has a peculiar tagged or tufted condition and bare 

 spots appear on the animal where it has fallen off, due 

 to the work of the mites. After being driven or heated 

 up, the animals are worse, as the increased heat of the 

 body tends to aggravate the desire to scratch. 



Remedies. Fortunately scab is a disease that can be 

 readily stamped out. In small herds where the animals 

 are under close control, by catching each animal and 

 "doctoring" it with a commercial dip smeared on with a 

 swab or rag soaked in the fluid, wherever there are 

 signs of it, the trouble can be checked. In large herds, 

 as on the western ranges, dipping plants are used. These 

 plants are sometimes owned by the sheepmen, in some 

 cases they are built and maintained as commercial 

 enterprises, a small charge being made for their use. 

 Under usual conditions a large number of sheep can be 

 sent through a dip each day, and with a good crew 

 there is little delay in the operation. The swim generally 

 is so timed that each sheep is in about one minute. The 

 men in charge see to it by means of forked sticks that 

 each animal is "ducked" completely under at least once 

 during the swim across. 



