Hall Trees Farm comprises of 60 acres of farmland and 600 lambing sheep. As a way of generating more income Robin Dean, a partner at Hall Trees Farm decided to purchase a portable sheep shower a few years ago.

Sheep showers are a method to dip sheep, a process which has been used for many years in order to protect sheep from external parasites that live on the surface of sheep’s skin. These parasites can lead to disease in the sheep, mainly caused by the feeding habits of the parasites. When the parasites feed on the sheep they cause irritation and distress to the sheep, sometimes resulting in stunting or severe loss of condition, loss of fleece and many other complications.

In order to rid sheep of these parasites, they are dipped in a solution. The traditional method involves running the sheep through a bath of dip solution, however there are now other methods including the showers that Robin uses. According to the Veterinary Products Committee there are benefits to sheep farmers of using showering equipment. In particular the committee acknowledged the ease of use of the showers, their reduced use of concentrate and the consequent reduction in problems of disposal of spent dip.

After having purchased his first shower, Robin now has an established sheep shower contracting business. Last year he showered approximately 60,000 sheep, reaching the maximum capacity of his shower. Robin therefore required a new sheep shower, which was eligible for LEADER+ funding.

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