With sheep scab reaching worrying levels in Scotland, Caledonian Marts at Stirling is trialling a sheep dipping service at its store and breeding sheep sales. Buyers can opt in to have the sheep dipped before leaving the mart, and they are separated out as they leave the ring.

Oliver Shearman, Managing Director of Caledonian Marts and council member of Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS), which offered the service at its last seven sales, said:

“Since we started offering the dipping in July, it has gained popularity at each sale, and last week we dipped 1100 sheep. Sheep scab is becoming a real issue across the country, and this is such a simple solution to help minimise it in the national flock. Buyers have the confidence that they are taking home clean stock and it’s one less worry, but it’s also efficient.

“It saves the work when you get home of unloading into the field, then taking them out again to be dipped and the time and effort that involves. It’s also good for smaller enterprises that don’t have enough sheep to employ a dipper for a day on the farm.”

Most persistent

Sheep scab, caused by the parasitic mite Psoroptes ovis, is an acute form of allergic dermatitis and one of the most persistent and damaging health issues in the UK sheep industry. It spreads rapidly and causes intense irritation, weight loss, reduced fertility and, in extreme cases, death if left untreated, all of which impacts both animal welfare and farm profitability. Dipping is a one-off procedure that provides instant results by immediately eliminating mites and minimising transmission back into existing flocks.

Caledonian Marts subcontracts the dipping on sale dates and the charge is £1.20 per sheep, added to the purchase price.

Executive Director of IAAS, Neil Wilson said “as auction markets, we have to do everything we can to support the industry to control sheep scab. Dipping is one of the most effective measures to control its spread, and it’s been great to see the growing uptake at Caledonian Marts. If marts and farmers work together on this, it will be a huge benefit to the industry. It also only strengthens the reputation of our marts as safe, responsible places for trade.”

The low labour and increased cover period associated with pour on products has seen sheep scab levels increase in both the UK and Ireland. The success of the Caledonian mart dipping scheme could be replicated in other marts both in the UK and Ireland.