trouble, foot rot and injury to the fleece. For a flock of fifty breeding 

 ewes a shed thirty feet long and twenty feet wide will furnish the 

 necessary space. 



Dipping Sheep. 



Sheep are subject to external parasites, of which there are three 

 classes, namely, scabies, ticks and lice. These can be easily controll- 

 ed by dipping in a solution of a standard disinfectant. The sources 

 of these parasites are stock cars, introduction of new stock and infect- 

 ed quarters. Before new stock is introduced into the flock they 

 should be dipped. The flock should be dipped twice a year, once in 

 the spring and once in the autumn. Even though no external para- 

 sites are present, dipping is a precaution. It cleanses the wool and 



T 



SH&EP 



DIPPING VAT: 



MflOE: OF HErflVY 

 VrtNIZED I ROM WIT 



STE-tL RErlMFORCEMEttT 



AS SHOWN 



Fig. 14. A sheep dipping vat. 



improves its quality. If ticks or lice are present, two dippings at 

 intervals of fourteen days apart, in the spring of the year, are neces- 

 sary. The first dipping will kill the adults and the second dipping 

 will kill the parasites that have hatched during the two-week period. 



When the ewes are shorn the parasites go to the lambs, where 

 the wool is longer and offers them protection. May is therefore a 

 good month for this operation. A warm day should be selected, as 

 cold, damp weather may cause pneumonia, especially to those sheep 

 weakened by internal parasites or nursing more than one lamb. 



A dipping vat similar to the one illustrated is a convenient piece 

 of equipment for any farmer to have, since it can be used for swine 

 and other stock. It should be at least eight feet long, twenty-two 

 inches wide and four feet deep. It may be made of concrete, wood, or 

 galvanized iron. The vat should be placed in a hole two feet deep, so 



36 



