[Mickey]

I've just seen some sheep going through the mart and wondered how they were dyed, is it through a sheep dip  or some other process?

[devonlady]

What colour were they? Sheep are usually spot-on'd nowadays rather than dipped. What is the soil around you? Sheep tend to be a reddish colour around here because of our red soil.

[harmony]

Different breeds are coloured up for the sales sometimes. Usually pedigree sales but some people colour up for everyday sales. Makes the sheep stand out! You noticed! You buy the colour and apply it. I do a similar thing with my hair so you don't notice the grey bits!Mind you nobody bought me yet! 

[SallyintNorth]

Dipped in a purl dip for sale, colours from grey through yellow to orange, red for Herdwicks.  Pure fashion

It's unusual to see them coloured at this time of year, though; normally they're dipped in the summer/early autumn for the breeding sales.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

The ones at sheep sales and ram sales smell strongly of dip, plus they're orange into the bargain. Isn't that a bit risky though when you have non farmers petting the dyed sheep and letting their kids pet them too?

[Mickey]

Thanks everyone,
Mickey

[mowhaugh]

We still plunge dip everything in the back end, as do all the other farms in our valley.

Our lambs would be coloured in the dipper, but tups or any ewes would be sprayed with a knapsack sprayer.

[SallyintNorth]

The ones at sheep sales and ram sales smell strongly of dip, plus they're orange into the bargain. Isn't that a bit risky though when you have non farmers petting the dyed sheep and letting their kids pet them too?

Hereabouts, no-one should be in the livestock pens who hasn't business to be there - so buyers, sellers and mart staff only.  Members of the public who aren't buying sheep shouldn't be wandering around there at all, and certainly not with kids with them!  Buyers may get up close and personal with sheep they are thinking of buying - but should know what they are doing and any health risks involved.  No-one should be 'petting the sheep' and most definitely not allowing children to.

Having said which, I guess that even up here, it's different at a rare breeds' sale - there are a lot more non-farming folk at such sales, and they do wander about the pens.  It'll get stopped when someone gets orf 

[Foobar]

Colouring seems to me to be a ridiculous tradition.  I'd be happy to see a no-trim and no-colouring policy at all ram sales.

[shep53]

Hill rams are often sprayed orange just before tupping , so that they can be seen from a distance among same breed ewes .