Dipping

• Sheep are dipped to eradicate ectoparasites (ticks and lice etc.) to cure or prevent spread of sheep scab, to ward off attack by sheep blow flies and to remove waste materials and dung from the fleece prior to shearing.
• For the last-mentioned purpose sheep are often washed in running water instead of being dipped in a recognized dip solution. Sheep usually improve in condition during the first few weeks after dipping.
• Sheep can be dipped immediately before the post-winter shearing and/or before post-autumn shearing. When there is high incidence of ectoparasites, sheep can be dipped one month after shearing too, when the fleece has grown long enough to retain dip solution and also to allow cuts and scratches incidental to shearing, time to heal.