Sheep Mineral Bolus

wrangler

brownswiss wrote: »

" from the company's site ..NS

Supplies ionic copper, ionic cobalt, selenium and iodine at levels compatible with the animal’s daily requirements for up to eight months."

I used the best bolus I could find at the start of the mating season and I have had the worst lamb losses since I started sheep farming.

Because I used the bolus I opted for our co op's 3 way mix that did not contain minerals and only changed to their Lactating ewe nut when lambing began . Many of the lambs did not want to suck and had no vigour. Ewes were in good condition. I have brought lambs to the lab but do not expect a definitive result as owing to being so busy and under pressure with lambing I did not bring the lambs soon enough

I'd take no short cuts here regards feeding pregnant ewes, as you see there's nothing as labour intensive as getting it wrong.
Sheep require the major minerals sodium, chlorine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, potassium, and trace minerals, including cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, and selenium and you've topped up only three of those.
To do it right now you'd really have to bloodtest the worst offending ewes, but it's far easier just to feed ration with the proper minerals in them.
Giving ewes a bolus before lambing will transfer minerals to the lambs in the milk....an added bonus.
We bolus here premating and prelambing, but cobalt levels are low here and dosing cobalt would have to be done very often.
I don't think theres any bolus that gives the sheep the required amount of cobalt and would be depending on up to 50% to come from the feed.

Sheep breeder

wrangler wrote: »

I'd take no short cuts here regards feeding pregnant ewes, as you see there's nothing as labour intensive as getting it wrong.
Sheep require the major minerals sodium, chlorine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, potassium, and trace minerals, including cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, and selenium and you've topped up only three of those.
To do it right now you'd really have to bloodtest the worst offending ewes, but it's far easier just to feed ration with the proper minerals in them.
Giving ewes a bolus before lambing will transfer minerals to the lambs in the milk....an added bonus.
We bolus here premating and prelambing, but cobalt levels are low here and dosing cobalt would have to be done very often.
I don't think theres any bolus that gives the sheep the required amount of cobalt and would be depending on up to 50% to come from the feed.

Agree with what you are saying, we bolus ewes and when selecting rations two major things are minerals and soya bean. One year with got white muscle disease due to low mineral and had to inject at birth and last time we purchased ration from that company.

razor8

brownswiss wrote: »

" from the company's site ..NS

Supplies ionic copper, ionic cobalt, selenium and iodine at levels compatible with the animal’s daily requirements for up to eight months."

I used the best bolus I could find at the start of the mating season and I have had the worst lamb losses since I started sheep farming.

Because I used the bolus I opted for our co op's 3 way mix that did not contain minerals and only changed to their Lactating ewe nut when lambing began . Many of the lambs did not want to suck and had no vigour. Ewes were in good condition. I have brought lambs to the lab but do not expect a definitive result as owing to being so busy and under pressure with lambing I did not bring the lambs soon enough

Definitely wouldn’t be relying on bolus’s to supply all mineral requirements. Use the Bolus here to try & maintain mineral levels but still drench to keep levels high

charolais0153

Sheep breeder wrote: »

Agree with what you are saying, we bolus ewes and when selecting rations two major things are minerals and soya bean. One year with got white muscle disease due to low mineral and had to inject at birth and last time we purchased ration from that company.

Which company?

ganmo

charolais0153 wrote: »

Which company?

selenium is one of the harder minerals to get right with the gap between deficiency and toxicity is small with both being deadly but a good dose of vit e would of prevented white muscle disease