Watch trace minerals this season

摘要

Dr Robert Suter, Senior Veterinary Officer for Agriculture Victoria, said signs of trace mineral deficiency in lambs in southeastern Australia show up in about one or two years in every five."The trace mineral deficiency we see in lambs in spring is caused by deficiencies in ewes during their pregnancy," Robert said.He explained that when grazing dry pastures, sheep generally ingest enough dust and dirt to take in sufficient amounts of the major trace minerals. But when green feed is plentiful and sheep stop grazing dry pastures early in the autumn, they consume less dirt, so their mineral consumption is also lower. So, an early break and good green pasture during winter when ewes are pregnant can lead to low levels of the trace minerals selenium, copper, cobalt and iodine, and this has serious consequences for lambs.