ANIMAX 3 in 1 sheep bolus

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
We used them for a couple of years. They did make a difference to the sheep there's no doubt but they were very fiddly to administer. We were bolusing for cobalt, selenium and copper so needed three boluses together. Have stopped bolusing completely now due to to many losses from bolusing injuries.
 

scottish-lleyn

Member
Mixed Farmer
We used them for a couple of years. They did make a difference to the sheep there's no doubt but they were very fiddly to administer. We were bolusing for cobalt, selenium and copper so needed three boluses together. Have stopped bolusing completely now due to to many losses from bolusing injuries.
i just need the copper and cobalt really. What are you doing now to get the copper cobalt and selenium into the ewes?
 

scottish-lleyn

Member
Mixed Farmer
Spreading it onto the ground. Approx ten kg of powder per acre on one third of the grazing every year. Costs about £20 per treated acre.
i did not know that that was an option. Ive never heard of it. How long does the treated field maintain the levels?. Are the ewes showing good levels of the minirals in blood tests?(if you do them).
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Anybody using these boluses. I normally use agrimin smart trace plus. Would need two boluses with the animax but even then still alot smaller.

We used them for a couple of years. They did make a difference to the sheep there's no doubt but they were very fiddly to administer. We were bolusing for cobalt, selenium and copper so needed three boluses together. Have stopped bolusing completely now due to to many losses from bolusing injuries.

The new boluses are combined,we had old stock ones so had to load three instead of two.

@GTB ,I can't understand why you seem to have had problems bolusing.

We've been bolusing well over 10 years and I can honestly say we've had no issues,yes some can be difficult however generally with patience it can be done satisfactorily.
 

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
We've been bolusing well over 10 years and I can honestly say we've had no issues,yes some can be difficult however generally with patience it can be done satisfactorily.
I know, it's very frustrating but we were taking plenty of time to do them and still getting losses. I think it's the breed perhaps, they don't like being handled and would struggle as much as they could. Took some dead ones (mysterious deaths we thought) to the lab and were told they'd died from bolusing injuries. Were also told by our vet and the path lab too that it's a common occurrence and increasingly so. :(

Even one of our vets has had problems. He says he can do his suffolks quite easily but the smaller commercial ewes struggle with him too.
 

Jonny_2

Member
Used them the other day and got on fine, steady job but only to do once a year! Used the cobalt ones and selenium/iodine, both loaded into the gun and given as the same time [emoji106]
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
I know, it's very frustrating but we were taking plenty of time to do them and still getting losses. I think it's the breed perhaps, they don't like being handled and would struggle as much as they could. Took some dead ones (mysterious deaths we thought) to the lab and were told they'd died from bolusing injuries. Were also told by our vet and the path lab too that it's a common occurrence and increasingly so. :(

Even one of our vets has had problems. He says he can do his suffolks quite easily but the smaller commercial ewes struggle with him too.

I know what you mean,the pure Welsh seem particularly bad as just when you get the gun to position they will thrust forwards in a flash.

It is certainly easier with cross breeds which are more towards docile.
 

exmoor dave

Member
Location
exmoor, uk
I know, it's very frustrating but we were taking plenty of time to do them and still getting losses. I think it's the breed perhaps, they don't like being handled and would struggle as much as they could. Took some dead ones (mysterious deaths we thought) to the lab and were told they'd died from bolusing injuries. Were also told by our vet and the path lab too that it's a common occurrence and increasingly so. :(

Even one of our vets has had problems. He says he can do his suffolks quite easily but the smaller commercial ewes struggle with him too.


I would say breed,
I find a huge difference between bolusing suffolk mules (easy) and wilts/exlana's (difficult)

Solution is put them through a clamp, no problems then.
In a race the shedders and the few hill breeds we've had all thrash around soon as you try bolusing them.
 

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
i did not know that that was an option. Ive never heard of it. How long does the treated field maintain the levels?. Are the ewes showing good levels of the minirals in blood tests?(if you do them).
Have had soil tests done and a blend of trace elements made up accordingly. As said, was advised to treat a third of the grazing each year. After three years we will re test the soil and we're hoping we'll need lower rates of application from then on. Only applied once so far so too early to comment on efficacy. Hoping to do some bloods in year two and three.
 

Bwcho

Member
Location
Cymru
I know, it's very frustrating but we were taking plenty of time to do them and still getting losses. I think it's the breed perhaps, they don't like being handled and would struggle as much as they could. Took some dead ones (mysterious deaths we thought) to the lab and were told they'd died from bolusing injuries. Were also told by our vet and the path lab too that it's a common occurrence and increasingly so. :(

Even one of our vets has had problems. He says he can do his suffolks quite easily but the smaller commercial ewes struggle with him too.
I can't like that @GTB, but it's what I've heard and been told as well.

I'm on the cusp of converting to bolusing, but this is the main issue that's holding me back.
It's hard enough keeping them alive as it is, let alone introducing another novel way, of them achieving their goal in life.

Interesting to hear that the issue might be breed dependant.
 

pgk

Member
No good for me with high molybdenum as this locks up copper so applying to land will have little effect. Have bolused twice a year for 2 years now with no losses, mix of lleyns and easy cares and their crosses. Have always done them in race and hold them with one hand fingers in jaw groove
to hold head steady. Strangely rams often resist less.
 

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
I can't like that @GTB, but it's what I've heard and been told as well.

I'm on the cusp of converting to bolusing, but this is the main issue that's holding me back.
It's hard enough keeping them alive as it is, let alone introducing another novel way, of them achieving their goal in life.

Interesting to hear that the issue might be breed dependant.
Hill breeds and shedders seem to be much harder to bolus than more docile (and bigger) breeds.
 

Bullring

Member
Location
Cornwall
The 3 in 1 ones are just one bolus per ewe and contain iodine, selenium and colbalt. Why do they need 2 unless you need copper which mine being texals don't. I used agrimin before and these are a doddle to administer compared to the massive agrimin bullets.
Anybody using these boluses. I normally use agrimin smart trace plus. Would need two boluses with the animax but even then still alot smaller.
 

scottish-lleyn

Member
Mixed Farmer
The 3 in 1 ones are just one bolus per ewe and contain iodine, selenium and colbalt. Why do they need 2 unless you need copper which mine being texals don't. I used agrimin before and these are a doddle to administer compared to the massive agrimin bullets.
yes i need copper aswell. Good to knkw they are easier than the agrimin
 

Bullring

Member
Location
Cornwall
I done some of mine last week and I reckon I bolused 50 with animax in the time it took me to do 20 with agrimin due to the fact the gun is smaller and they swallow them easier, wouldn't do them again if agrimin had to be used.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 78 43.1%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.8%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.6%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top