Trace Elements Essential for Sheep

Ensuring your flock has access to the necessary trace elements can be challenging at the best of times but with changes in seasonal rainfall, soil health and productivity, and feed quality and availability the assurance they’re getting what they need may not be a given. Testing for deficiencies is an essential part of your flock care plan and supplements should never be given without first knowing exactly what trace elements are missing.

Ruminants require a complex mix of nutrients to sustain body tissues, body functions and to reach production parameters. These nutrients can be separated into macronutrients and micronutrients.

Macronutrients – essential nutrients that the animal has a large minimum daily requirement for:

Carbohydrates and Fats – to provide energy for the daily function of body systems.

Protein – provides the amino acids to build and restore body tissues

Macrominerals – minerals such as calcium, sodium and potassium that are required daily in large quantities for the normal function of body systems

Micronutrients – essential nutrients that the animal has a very small daily requirement for. The micronutrients play a vital role in many enzyme systems in the body:

Trace Elements – minerals such as selenium, copper, cobalt and iodine

Vitamins – a variety of fat soluble and water-soluble vitamins are required as cofactors in many enzymatic reactions in the body.

For sheep, three trace elements are essential:

Cobalt is an essential trace element required by rumen microbes to synthesise Vitamin B12. It is the only source of Vitamin B12 to the animal and is required by enzymes involved in a variety of metabolic processes. Cobalt cannot be stored for any significant amount of time in the body but Vitamin B12 is able to be stored in the liver.

Selenium is required by the body to produce several selenium dependant proteins, or seleno-proteins. These act primarily as antioxidants in the body, scavenging free radicals, products of normal metabolism in the body which can cause cellular damage.

Copper is involved in the uptake of iron from the diet and is vital for the manufacture of haemoglobin, which is responsible for carrying oxygen in the red blood cells. It is essential for body and bone growth as well as nervous system and immune system function and has a role in the production of many pigments in the body and in wool.

Coopers Permatrace for sheep is a proven product to overcome trace element deficiencies. Permatrace Selenium pellets and Permatrace Cobalt pellets each offer a 3-year supplementation to correct deficiencies. Permatrace Copper offers a 1-year supplementation. All three products are a 1-dose system saving you time and improving wool productivity, growth-rates, lamb survival, fertility and immune.

For more information speak with us at Lincoln Rural or visit: https://www.coopersanimalhealth.com.au/product/permatrace-campaign/