ARCHIVE FILE
This article was published in 1956
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INSTITUTE OF INSPECTORS OF STOCK OF N.S.W. YEAR BOOK.
THE HISTORY OF SHEEP SHOWERING
L. H. HAMMOND, Director of Sales, Cooper Machinery, Division, Sunbeam Corporation Ltd.
Before giving particulars of the Cooper Sheepshower development and production it would be advisable, perhaps, to explain that there is nothing new about this method of treating sheep for external parasites. Actually there are home-made types of sheepshowers still in existence, and being used, which have been on properties for over thirty years. Most of these home-made apparatuses are of a rather crude nature; in the main being an elevated tank over a fenced-in area with a concrete floor and run-off. The tank is of galvanised iron construction, made specially to fit the size of the enclosure. It is perforated with small holes and the wash, with the dipping mixture added, is poured into this tank in some instances, in others it is pumped up to the tank and from there showers through the perforated holes on to the sheep.
In most of these early installations there was no provision made for ground sprays to wet under the bellies of the sheep, nor was there any pressure from the overhead tank supply. The owners of these early home-made showers all claimed they got satisfactory results from this method, and the main reasons they had been designed and installed were to avoid injury to sheep and the saving of manpower, as compared with putting the sheep through a swim bath.
The next step in the history of sheep-showering came from a firm which manufactured a circular type of showering apparatus. This method of showering incorporated top and bottom nozzles and was a vast improvement on the old home-made types. It was readily accepted on the market by sheep owners throughout the Commonwealth and became recognised as a successful method of wetting sheep for the control and eradication of external parasites. Some three years after this type of plant had been on the market the Cooper Engineering Company, now known as the Sunbeam Corporation Limited, be came interested in this new method of showering sheep and its experimental section commenced to design and experiment with a more improved type of mechanism than the existing equipment being used. The first step taken was to install a circular type plant on an experimental farm adjacent to Sydney and shower several hundred head of sheep to ascertain what was considered to be the weakness in this type of equipment. It was very quickly established; the type of nozzles being used were considered unsatisfactory as they had an internal mechanism which caused blockage and reduced the flow of wash. This problem was immediately handed over to the experimental department to design and produce a suitable type of nozzle, which under normal working conditions could not become clogged or blocked in any way. Further tests disclosed many features which were required to be improved upon; such as inadequate straining system, no agitation provided, very slow operating valve type controls for diverting the wash,etc.
After these tests had been completed the full report was submitted to the executives of the Company with recommendations as to what would be required to design and manufacture a more up-to-date type of Sheep-shower. The Drawing Office then was given instructions to go ahead and design several types of enclosures; work out accurately what size pump, and volume of wash, would be required for different sized enclosures. Whilst this was being done representatives of the Company toured country districts making enquiries and observations as to the type of shower design most farmers would prefer. A visitors' book was kept at the Sydney factory and all country visitors were asked a series of questions, the main one being what type of enclosure they would prefer if they were purchasing a Sheep-shower; a race type or a circular type. As a result of all these enquiries and questions it was ascertained that 90% of the farming community would prefer a race type of shower. They all maintained sheep were accustomed to being handled through yards and shearing sheds,etc., in races and it would therefore be more practical to handle them this way for a shower.
Several prototype models of showers had been made during this experimental period and in all cases they were tried out for working sheep, wetting.etc. One of these early prototype models is still in existence and still being used on one of Mr. Herbert Field's properties at Widgiewa, New South Wales. Some of the earlier prototype models had oblong enclosures with rows of fixed nozzles top, side and bottom, low race type enclosures with nozzles travelling forward and backwards along the tops of the enclosure, and several other designs which were eliminated for various reasons during the testing period. As can be seen, the Company spent a considerable amount of time and money in developing and producing this product.
As can be appreciated, all of this took time and it will be of interest to note that investigations commenced on the Cooper Sheep-shower in November, 1941, and it was five years later, June, 1946, that the product actually was put into production and marketed; with all the necessary improvements incorporated, such as, patented non-clogging nozzles, quick acting levers, efficient straining system, agitation, punkah action on top nozzles allowing for adequate breathing space and using a race type design. When it was decided finally to produce the shower that is being marketed now as the Cooper Sheep-shower the complete unit was installed at St. Helen's Park Experimental Station, in those days owned by William Cooper & Nephews (the Cooper Sheep Dip Co.), and exhaustive tests were made by the senior technical and veterinary officer for wetting of sheep and killing of parasites. Records of these tests are still on file with the Company. As a result of these tests it was officially agreed that the plant was satisfactory in every respect and could be sold to the Australian wool-grower with confidence. The Company then went ahead and tooled up for the project and the Sheep-shower was marketed.
Since production began the Company has delivered over twelve thousand of these units in Australia. Although no major constructional alterations have been made, there have been, of course, several modifications and alterations to the unit; being mostly to do with gate heights, punkah drive equipment, additional adjustments for making easy assembly and things of that nature. Also, over the years it was ascertained that with the variation of wool with various breeds of sheep in different parts of the country it was necessary to alter the original specified showering times. With the showering of sheep it must always be remembered that the shower is only the mechanical of the operation and that so much depends on the user really to make sure a satisfactory job is done. For instance, unsuccessful results can be obtained by a user not preparing his dipping material in the correct manner, especially to-day with the new type of dips in which exhaustion takes place and its necessary to re-inforce the wash at regular intervals. Also, if the owner is not particular to make sure the plant is inspected first thing; particularly at the bottom of the well for cleanliness before showering operations commence.(sic) If this is not done foreign matter could cause a blockage or reduce the volume of wash and pressure, giving unsatisfactory results.
Particular care on the user's part should be taken to see that sheep are left in the enclosure the full recommended time; or in fact when it is known to them that their sheep have over the recommended length of wool on them, or alternatively are of a particularly fine-wool breed, additional time should be given to that recommended by the manufacturer. In other words, like so many other products the installation and the results obtained from same are directly in the hands of the owner or the man in charge of the showering operations, but it can be claimed without any fear of doubt that if a Cooper Sheep-shower is installed and operated as per Company instructions and recommendations it will do a 100% satisfactory job of work, and leave the old method of passing sheep through a swim bath a long way behind.
The main problem experienced in regard to this product is the education of the user, and the Sunbeam Corporation, appreciating this fact, is spending a considerable amount of time and money in running schools to train personnel who can go out in the field and give the owners practical information; and in many cases start their showering operations for them, because we know that any sheep-owner who has been shown what the unit can do when operated efficiently would make it his business to see that subsequent showerings are done in a thorough way.
(Contributed as one result of a most enjoyable, as well as very interesting and instructive, morning spent by Inspectors at the Mascot works of the Sunbeam Corporation Ltd., during Conference, 1956. Inspectors learned quite a lot of the problems and aspirations of the Company, which in turn was presented with some angles not recognised previously.—EDITOR).