The Big Sheep Dipper: A Ewe-nique Invention

Here at JOD, we’re challenged to design and engineer all kinds of solutions. This one was for a project close to home – the home of our Managing Director, John Cowell, in fact. John has a small farm where his family breed, raise, and show sheep.

Part of the sheep rearing process involves “dipping” sheep to protect them against parasites and fly strike and washing and prepping sheep for shows. As you can imagine, getting a sheep into a bathtub isn’t a possibility, so the tub must be brought to the sheep.

What’s the story behind the idea?

John saw a way he could make washing and dipping easier by designing a system to elevate sheep, with an integral tank. There are several small units available to elevate sheep for washing and prepping, but no powered units on the market, with an integral tank.

The design caters to small flocks, allowing the farmer to wash and dip sheep in a controlled, orderly and stress-free manner. The unit can be used to dip sheep to protect against fly strike and mites or to wash and prep the sheep for shows and sale.

Who is the Big Sheep Dipper for?

John designed the units for personal use, but we could produce more for sale on request. Many farmers use stands on a cantilever system for washing and use a hole in the ground for dipping sheep. The Big Sheep Dipper unit packages these two processes into one.

The unit is mains powered and on wheels for convenience. It has made a laborious, dirty, and sometimes chaotic process so much easier – for John and his sheep!

The Big Sheep Dipper did a thorough job washing John’s sheep. He took home a few rosettes for his prize sheep at Lancashire and Black nose beauties show in Carlisle.

We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the Big Sheep Dipper in all its glory! If you’ve got an engineering problem and you need a solution designed, get in touch with our team.