Fixed dips must be long, wide and deep enough to ensure that the animals get completely immersed when plunging, and have to swim a few meters before touching the bottom again.
This is very important for all body parts to be completely wet during dipping. It is highly recommended that an operator pushes each animal's head ate least once again into the dip wash using a special stick for this purpose, also in large cattle dips. When using small dip vats portable or circular ones for sheep or goats it is crucial that each animal remains at least 1 minute in the dip wash.
Since the inner part of the ears are often infested with various mite and tick species the head of all animals must be immersed at least twice. This requires discipline from the operator, since the shorter the animals remain in the dip, the sooner he will finish work.
If it rains earlier than 12 hours after dipping, sheep that were treated against psoroptic mites or lice before going to the winter quarters should be dipped again, because rain can wash away part of the product before it has impregnated the wool's grease and the potential consequences of an inefficient treatment are much more expensive than dipping the animals again. In other situations or for cattle this is also highly recommended, but the consequences may be less dramatic.
It is obvious that operators have to wear protective clothing to avoid direct contact with the parasiticides that can be considerably toxic , especially organophosphates and carbamates. The use instructions e. A single accidental exposure as falling into the dip is usually not dramatic for a healthy adult, but the affected person has to be brought immediately to a medical doctor. Quite dangerous can be the frequent and repeated skin contact with dip wash or the inhalation of toxic vapors e.
This can in fact happen to professional dippers that spend months going from farm to farm to dip the sheep and are exposed to potential contaminations during many hours a day. A similar situation can happen for workers in very large cattle farms during the high tick season it can last longer than six months when the dip is busy almost every day to treat all the different animal groups in the property.
The risks for operators when using such chemicals as organophosphates and synthetic pyrethroids for sheep dipping have been broadly investigated and discussed in the last years in several countries, especially in Australia and the UK. They have resulted in much stricter safety measures and regulations, and even to the partial or complete withdrawal or certain products.
The fact is that in the meantime there are enough alternatives to dipping e. Such alternatives are often more expensive in terms of product cost per treatment. But if the cost of complying with the new regulations and its inconvenience is added, the total cost per treatment can make the alternatives more attractive.
In case of incidents or doubts, a medical doctor has to be visited as soon as possible , telling him about the product involved best is to bring him a product label. To minimize the health risks it is important that livestock can rest and drink before dipping. The way to the dip in large properties can be exhausting and dipping can be quite stressing for animals, especially if they are not used to it.
If animals are thirsty they may drink dip wash, which can have toxic effects. All this can be too much for weaker animals. Therefore pregnant, young, sick or old animals have to be treated separately and maybe not dipped at all, but sprayed or treated with alternative products. Dipping with most sheep scabicides requires using freshly prepared dip wash. It is caused by the soil bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae than can multiply very quickly in dip wash.
Such bacteria can infect sheep through small injuries and scratches caused by the dipping itself. Outbreaks can cause numerous deaths, especially of lambs and otherwise weak animals. To avoid it the dip wash must be renewed daily, or otherwise a bacteriostatic agent has to be added to the dip wash following the label instructions.
To reduce the risk of a PDL outbreak it is highly recommended to thoroughly clean the dip vat before filling, especially for eliminating any kind of organic dirt mud, remains of feces and wool, etc. The risk of PDL is real! The author of these lines once had to immediately travel from Switzerland to Northeast China in in order to sort out a complaint: several dozen sheep have died after dipping with a diazinon product and the customer the management of a huge government farm was convinced that something was wrong with the product.
But the hardest was to convinced them that it was their fault. The potential damage to the environment is very high if contaminated dip wash is disposed of incorrectly. This is especially true for dips charged with synthetic pyrethroids. If several thousand liters dip wash get into a river or a lake it can be catastrophic for fish and many other aquatic organisms.
Therefore its an absolute must to comply with all the regulations regarding correct disposal of dip wash or whatever dip waste. Junquera All rights reserved. Control: Introduction Biol. Control of Flies Biol. Mr Fell of Nafferton Farm, near Brancepeth, County Durham, has seen growing demand for his mobile sheep dipping services.
His round has seen a meteoric rise, growing from 2, sheep in to more than , in Last summer he unveiled a bespoke automatic dipping tank fitted to a wagon to double daily throughput from sheep an hour to sheep an hour. A large spray nozzle can be used to replace one dunk and would be advantageous in maintaining dip wash circulation. Only sheep that are fit and in good condition should be plunge dipped. All sheep need to be able to complete the swim and walk up the inclined exit ramp.
Heavily pregnant ewes, weaners or sheep in poor condition are more susceptible to stress and should be dipped early in the day. Pregnant ewes and sheep in poor condition may be unable to climb out of the dip. Lambs should be drafted from ewes to avoid being trampled or drowned in the dip. Avoid dipping sheep on very hot days or in wet or very windy conditions.
The sheep may be chilled severely by winds and will not dry out quickly in wet conditions. Start early in the day and finish early enough to allow the sheep to dry before nightfall. Hot, tired sheep should be rested prior to dipping, as skin absorption of chemical and drinking of dip wash can result in losses due to poisoning. The sheep should be yarded overnight, prior to dipping, with access to water, but not feed, to allow them to empty out. This reduces contamination of the dip by sheep faeces.
Different sized sheep should be drafted off and dipped separately to prevent smothering and drowning. Young sheep are more susceptible to infections and should be dipped first when the dip wash is cleanest. Sheep heavily infested with grass seeds are more prone to infection. Draft off diseased sheep, such as any with dermo, pink eye or open abscesses. Do not dip any other sheep after these before cleaning out the dip. Forcing pens and the race leading to the dip entry should have slatted or concrete floors to reduce organic matter faeces, soil, plant matter etc.
Sheep do not enjoy swimming and remember the experience; previously plunge-dipped sheep may become reluctant to enter the dip and may need to be encouraged into the dip. A range of design features can be used to improve sheep flow. The design of the lead up to the dip can incorporate a V-belt conveyor, hock bars, a curved lead up race and decoy sheep to attract the other sheep onto a dip slide entry after which it is too late for the sheep to choose an alternative path.
Sheep may be delivered into the dip via a VE conveyer. The symptoms of mild poisoning are a feeling of exhaustion and weakness that may be accompanied by cramp-like abdominal pains, diarrhoea, excessive sweating, constricted pupils and salivation to up to 24 hours after exposure.
Severe poisoning can cause general muscle twitching and convulsions. Doctors can obtain advice on clinical management of organophosphate exposure from the Poisons Information Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.
All cases of organophosphorus poisoning must be treated in hospital. The following precautions relate to the handling of sheep dips containing pyrethroids cypermethrin :.
Doctors should note that cypermethrin is not an organophosphate. Cypermethrin is a potential skin sensitiser and may cause tingling effects on exposed areas of human skin. Doctors should note that amitraz is not an organophosphate. If poisoning is suspected, treatment should be symptomatic and supportive, paying particular attention to monitoring of cardiac and respiratory function.
Do not use atropine. Do not induce vomiting. Once sheep have been dipped, the waste dip water that remains in the bath as well as the run-off from treated animals is known as spent dip. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has issued general advice on the disposal of spent sheep dip. Spent dip is regulated by legislation for the protection of groundwater.
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