Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-05-29
Ticks on Sheen.
From the Farmers Encyclopaedia

These vermln, when very numerous,
greatly annoy and enfeeble the sheep
III winter, and should be kept entirely
out of the flock The draft upon the
vitality of lambs infested with ticks
is very great, and sufficient to arrest
their growth altogether. To rid the
flock of these pests is therefore a
necessary labor IN the spring or early
summer, and, if need be, again in the
autumn. The easiest remedy is to dip
both sheep and lambs, as soon as the
sheep are shorn, and again in August
or September, in decoction Of tobac-
co mixed with sulphur. Coarse plug
tobacco, or tobacco stems, which are
cheaper that the leaves, and equally
effective, are STEPPED in water at a
boiling heat, but not boiling, at the
rate of four pounds to twenty gallous
o. water One pound of flowers of
sulphur is then stirred in the liquid,
which is brought to a temperature of
100 degrees, and kept so during the
dipping by the addition of fresh hot
liquor. During the dipping, the mix
ture is kept stirred to prevent the
sulphur from subsiding.
The dip may be conveniently placed
in a trough or tub large enough to
allow of the immersion of the sheep
or lamb, which is taken by the feet by
two b1en and plunged into the bath at
the temperature mentioned, when it is
held for a minute or two until the
wool is thoroughly saturated The
animal is then placed in a pen with a
raised floor sloplng on each side to
trough in the middle, along which the
superintendent liquor escapes into a
pail or tub placed to receive it.
This method of dipping is calculated
for small focks, or for few hundred
lambs. For larger focks, a larger
tank is provided, IL feet long, feet
wide, and 4 feet deep. 4 fenced plat
form leads from a pen in which the
sheep are gathered, up to the edge of
the dipping tank, and the Sheep are
taken one by one from the pen, led up
the platform and pushed into the tank
in which the dip is sufficiently deep to
cover them. AS the sheep plunge
into the dip, they ara seized and kept
beneath it, except the head. which
alone is suffered to emerge above it.
If, in their struggles, a little of the
dip enters their nostrilS, no harm re-
suits, but the hot tobacco water is, on
the contrary, beneficial to those sheep
which are affected by catarrh or grub
in the head, and the violent sneezings
which follow, may help to free them
from these troublesome parasites
which often inhabit the nasal sinu-
ses.
The sheep are rapidly passed from
hand to hand along the tank until
they reach the end, where there is a
sloping plank upon which they can
walk up to another platform. Here
they are allowed to remain while the
excess of dip is squeezed from their
wool. From this the liquid drains
into tubs, and is carried to the boiler
to be reheated, and then returned to
the tank for use again.
The cost of dipping large flock,
numbering several thousands, IN this
manner, twice in the season, is five
cents head, and the improvement in
tie quality of the wool, which re-
suits from the cleansing of the skin
from dust, grease, and the accumala-
ted refuse of it's secretions, and It's in
crease in quality, consequence upon
the greater comfort of the sheep, and
their escape from the persecution Of
ticks and other parasites, is estimated
at 20 cents per head, so that the cost
is repaid more than threefold. The
comforting knowledge to the hui
name shepherd that his flock is freed
from Doost annoying torment, is
also something, which, although it
does not enter into a pecuniary c&lcu-
lation, and is not measured by dollars
and cents, yet it is not on that &C
count unworthy Of consideration
Farmers Encyclopedia.