Shearing and Dipping the Flock. 97 



but also their lambs. Some of our best sheep 

 breeders favor shearing before lambing, and keep 

 up this practice each year. Of course, these men 

 do their shearing themselves and in the most care- 

 ful manner. 



When ewes are sheared before lambing, only 

 the most competent and careful shearers should 

 ever perform the work, and even such men must 

 use extreme care and patience to make sure that 

 none of the ewes heavy with lamb are injured, re- 

 sulting in abortion. Therefore, unless the most 

 competent and painstaking shearers can be se- 

 cured, in spite of the advantages of shearing be- 

 fore lambing, the writer would in general advise 

 that ewes lamb before being sheared. However, 

 when ewes are due to lamb late in the season it 

 may be best to shear them before they lamb. 



DIPPING A NECESSITY. 



At least once a year the flock should be dipped 

 in order to rid it from ticks and also from lice, if 

 the latter should be present. The best time to dip 

 is shortly after shearing. A nice, warm, sunshiny 

 day should be selected for this work, and it should 

 preferably be done in the morning so as to give 

 the sheep a chance to dry out again before night. 

 Any one of the many recommended coal tar dips 

 may be used. Dipping the flock is strongly ad- 



