ISCO
Member
- Location
- North East
Need to have a word with our vets. We paid £95 plus vat in June. It was there in 2 days though.
B12 blood tests
- Thread starter BAW
- Start date
so chuck some seaweed on the sugar beet.
Frodo
Member
- Location
- Scotland (east)
Is spraying the grass with cobalt just not an option in this country?
- Location
- Mendips Somerset
What do you think about that chap bolusing 4 week old lambs , recons 90% gone by weaning , thinking about doing something similar with those small smart trace ones next yearAs someone reinvigorated this thread…..
We’re not as severely Co deficient as a lot here, but see the scaly ears and reduced growth at around weaning time, so thought it was worth a try.
Ewes were bolused at scanning, so supply through the milk (?) early in lactation, but lambs always loose their edge from mid/late June. I jabbed all the lambs at the end of June, with a view to bolusing at weaning. Within a week they looked to be on the thrive again, and coats looking better. I weaned (& bolused) the twins at the beginning of the week and they certainly touch a lot better than they did when I jabbed them.
12p well spent, here at least.
- Location
- Mendips Somerset
defiantly does , i bolused ewes pre tupping last year , had 10 sets of triplets out of 40 sh ewes , ended up 210% , normal % is 165-170 % over last 20 years , had similar in old ewes lambed early natural service % up by about 10-15%I heard of some specialist some where say, so don't quote me on this, but the fertility of a ewe is affected by the cobalt status of its mother at tupping. So when that ewe was just an egg waiting to be fertilised. Something worth keeping in the back of your mind but I doubt it'll come up in a pub quiz.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
I think @tepapa was referring to the idea that the progeny of supplemented ewes would be more prolific when they were adults, rather than the lift in performance of the bolused ewes themselves.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Who/where was that? I can only assume the sheep were also on some pretty good, well managed grazing as well, with the TE deficiencies being the only limiting factor on that farm.
- Location
- Mendips Somerset
i think it was Fw or FG will see if i can track it down , sounds to good to be true , i have always done at weaning , but could have some mileage if true
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Yes, Nielo, so my vet was saying that yesterday, the bolus is the mainstay in the background, but you use the injection to boost them and its the only thing that will cure symptoms quick enough, and either injections which he thinks best or a good drench are needed in poor areas, and he suggested to time this for stress periods, weaning, lambing or to boost at tupping.
- Location
- breconshire
Our vets seem to be able to get Troy vit easily enough, rang them this morning and picked up two 500ml packs straight away
- Location
- West Wales
What’s the cost per lamb and how long will it last?
I was told the other night that an injection for a ewe is circa £5/head
exmoor dave
Member
- Location
- exmoor, uk
What’s the cost per lamb and how long will it last?
I was told the other night that an injection for a ewe is circa £5/head
Think someone is getting mixed up with smartshot, ewe dose of that would be fair money
Troyvit 16-17p per ml
Lambs 1 ml every 2mths
Looks like ewes are 1ml every 4mths
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Does that suggest they absorb more if they need more (growing lambs) I wonder? And at that assumption, would it last less than the 2 months on severely deficient farms?
- Location
- breconshire
Bought some earlier on that worked out at 13p per lamb, didn't ask price today, as others said should last two monthsWhat’s the cost per lamb and how long will it last?
I was told the other night that an injection for a ewe is circa £5/head
exmoor dave
Member
- Location
- exmoor, uk
Does that suggest they absorb more if they need more (growing lambs) I wonder? And at that assumption, would it last less than the 2 months on severely deficient farms?
I think they absorb more to demand on a deficit farm, I just checked records and we actually jabbed 1.25ml,
2 months later the scaley ears are back, but I've not done any blood testing to say the lambs are deficient now, the scaley ears could be something else
Yes it is and I suspect this would be better than supplements. Haven't tried it myself but I know someone who has to good effect. Theres a little advice on spraying cobalt sulphate on the farm advisory service technical note:
"TN664: Management of cobalt in grassland soils | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service" https://www.fas.scot/publication/tn664-management-of-cobalt-in-grassland-soils/
Trouble is cobalt sulphate is carcinogenic and price of it via the only supplier I have found (Celtic chemicals) is very volatile. Maybe TFF buying group could help?
Be interested to hear from anyone with experience of spraying cobalt sulphate on pasture.
I have found a direct effect using of Troy B12 (smartshot too expensive and not v user friendly ime) is reduction of scaley ears and improved general thrift. Blood testing on our farm consistently shows low v cobalt.I think they absorb more to demand on a deficit farm, I just checked records and we actually jabbed 1.25ml,
2 months later the scaley ears are back, but I've not done any blood testing to say the lambs are deficient now, the scaley ears could be something else
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
That SAC note is from 2015. Iirc it was possible to spray it on the pasture back then, but not any longer (legally anyway).
I remember @Global ovine mentioning the application rates used in NZ several times on here, and spraying only part fields.
- Location
- breconshire
We bought a bag of cobalt sulphate last year through our little buying group,( from somewhere in South Wales) think it was 70 - 80 quid, they tell me it's dearer this year though.
We sprayed it on pasture for lambs last year, and mixed some in with fert this yr and spread it all over. Not very scientific - a b bean tin full to a bag of fert.
Lambs have looked a good colour this yr and look healthy - could be the yr who knows!
Now is the time when they mostly go off and look white in the coat, look okay so far and have ment up since weaning and going onto aftermath, have given them a ml of Troy vit today as well, can they have too much?