Faves from the Cave

Farming sheep isn’t all fluffy sweaters and green pastures. Their thick woolen coats that are so suited to clothing also collect dirt and grime, making the perfect habitat for parasites. Lice, ticks, blowflies, and mites can cause serious problems for a sheep. Aside from skin infections, the bloodsucking nature of these hitchhikers can quickly spread disease through a flock.  

Introducing ‘sheep dips.’ Invented in 1830s Scotland, where sheep farming was a major industry, these chemical baths treated parasites by submerging sheep in deep basins, saturating their wool to kill pests. In the 1850s, a veterinary surgeon named William Cooper set out to revolutionize the sheep dip. His solution was an arsenic-sulphur compound that, when powdered, could easily be shipped to farmers in neat packages. ‘Cooper’s Dip’ took the shepherding world by storm. It was said that the land around his factory was coated in bright yellow dust due to the demand for production.  

Dipping also came with a few tools of the trade. The pictured tool is a dipping fork (colloquially also known as a Cooper’s Dip) that was used to push the sheep’s head underwater to ensure a full application of the chemicals. Dipping was usually undertaken once or twice a year to keep parasites under control and ensure a good wool yield for the farmer. Nowadays, farmers often choose less invasive treatments to keep their flocks pest-free. Nonetheless, this dipping fork is a fascinating look into the history of livestock management.