Use of a colouring agent in approved dips as an aid in identifying dipped sheep.

A fat soluble dye was identified as a suitable colourant for mixing with approved dips during the statutory winter dipping period. The optimum concentration of the dye was 0.4 per cent. It uniformly dyed the sheep and depending on the breed persisted on the fleece for three to six months. Any dye that remained on the wool at shearing (six to eight months after dipping) was washed out by scouring solutions containing non-ionic and anionic detergents. The dye did not alter the efficacy of the commonly used insecticides.