Getting extra calcium into ewes

[sheepwise]

Have read on here that vets are saying that a lot of ewes are low in calcium this year. Was getting on great here with not a single prolapse a week into lambing however today have had to put harnesses on 4 ewes. Also this morning had two ewes with dead pairs as ewes not opened up properly. Not a disaster but do wonder if like others calcium is low. The ewes are lambing outside on decent grass after coming off fodder beet a month ago. They have Crystalyx tubs in the lambing field as we don’t feed any concentrates. So how could we get extra calcium into the ewes in this situation? Should add that ewes are in great fettle and those lambed are milking very well.

 

[yellowbelly]

Funny how these things seem to crop up

TexX ewes - which Tup to use?

If it's the sort of thing you do, don't forget your Easter egg break at some point 😊

thefarmingforum.co.uk

post #3729 onwards
I wonder if they would take the calcium carbonate granules if you put it out like free access minerals?

Edit.
I'll stick some in a tub in the shed tonight and see if they take any.

 

[Macsky]

Is it a lack of calcium, or a lack of the ability to mobilise calcium? I think vit D has a role to play in that, not sure what else. I’m sure I read that the rumenco lifeline precalver tubs are low in calcium specifically to encourage calcium mobilisation, I’m assuming from the skeleton.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Never ever known prolapses as bad here as this year, diet the same and body condition the same. Sick of applying harnesses

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Similar here.
Loads of prolapse, plus a few ewes gone down with deficiency, which is unusual for me. Prolapse has been an issue previously though, but this year is bad. My vet would tell me they're too fat, which they may be, I feel I should have kept them a bit harder mid pregnancy.

 

[bazza3034]

Bucket licks the key is having ewes in good condition on the run up to lambing to much feeding on the run up to lambing will only cause prolapse issue's use a blend not a pellet as some sheep gorge and also cause prolapse issues

 

[Farmer_Joe]

I had a few prolapse near start (2 literally pushed the lots out so died) as soon as there was a sniff of grass growth I’ve stoped silage and just feed them more nuts they are fat but problem is still some thin ones in em! Touches loads of wood no prolapses since taking off silage

When I posted how little foot rot I had needless to say I’ve seen so many with it in last few weeks so prob have loads more prolapse tomorrow !!!

 

[yellowbelly]

Have read on here that vets are saying that a lot of ewes are low in calcium this year. Was getting on great here with not a single prolapse a week into lambing however today have had to put harnesses on 4 ewes. Also this morning had two ewes with dead pairs as ewes not opened up properly. Not a disaster but do wonder if like others calcium is low. The ewes are lambing outside on decent grass after coming off fodder beet a month ago. They have Crystalyx tubs in the lambing field as we don’t feed any concentrates. So how could we get extra calcium into the ewes in this situation? Should add that ewes are in great fettle and those lambed are milking very well.

Funny how these things seem to crop up

TexX ewes - which Tup to use?

If it's the sort of thing you do, don't forget your Easter egg break at some point 😊

thefarmingforum.co.uk

post #3729 onwards
I wonder if they would take the calcium carbonate granules if you put it out like free access minerals?

Edit.
I'll stick some in a tub in the shed tonight and see if they take any.

As part of probably the least scientific experiment ever, put this tub in with a pen of 30 or 40 in lambers.......

Took this out the other day.........

........so it's not the way to get any calcium into them - they didn't take any .

 

[JSmith]

I was mixing it with powdered mineral, that seemed to work

 

[Highland Mule]

Any access to stock feed carrots? I’m fairly sure they’re high in calcium and my ewes love them.

 

[Nithsdale]

As part of probably the least scientific experiment ever, put this tub in with a pen of 30 or 40 in lambers.......

Took this out the other day.........

........so it's not the way to get any calcium into them - they didn't take any .

Mix it into molasses?...

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Is not beet high in calcium

 

[Alias]

We used to feed beet pulp nuts early on and then change to ewe rolls nearer to lambing and ended up with quite a few going down with tremblings, especially swaledales. Since we gave up with the beet things have been a lot better ,though we still get odds ones.

 

[Bones]

I put the mineral dust on top of the crystal x buckets, sticks well, and ewes have to lick it up, usually go mad for it ,

 

[sheepdogtrail]

Aloe vera juice is loaded with Calcium. 50mg of Calcium per 2 ounce serving. Sheep drink it better than water.

 

[sheepwise]

Is not beet high in calcium

This is interesting as if I'm correct, and sheep are like dairy cows, then the body is never actually short of calcium but can get lazy at absorbing it if on a calcium rich diet. Therefore dry cows fed low calcium diets become efficient absorbers and when moved on to a higher calcium diet at calving are less likely to be calcium deficient ie. get milk fever. So wondering if ewes on beet pre lambing become lazy absorbers and then when moved onto grass for lambing become deficient as they are unable to absorb enough calcium from the lower calcium grass. Thoughts.

 

[SLA]

This is interesting as if I'm correct, and sheep are like dairy cows, then the body is never actually short of calcium but can get lazy at absorbing it if on a calcium rich diet. Therefore dry cows fed low calcium diets become efficient absorbers and when moved on to a higher calcium diet at calving are less likely to be calcium deficient ie. get milk fever. So wondering if ewes on beet pre lambing become lazy absorbers and then when moved onto grass for lambing become deficient as they are unable to absorb enough calcium from the lower calcium grass. Thoughts.

This is probably correct, when we first moved we had our ewes out on limestone grassland for the autumn/winter and had massive problems with calcium deficiency once inside - breeding ewes and non breeding replacement ewe lambs. Not had an issue since despite still using field. Assuming they got used to it?

 

[sheepwise]

This is probably correct, when we first moved we had our ewes out on limestone grassland for the autumn/winter and had massive problems with calcium deficiency once inside - breeding ewes and non breeding replacement ewe lambs. Not had an issue since despite still using field. Assuming they got used to it?

What symptoms were you getting?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

This is interesting as if I'm correct, and sheep are like dairy cows, then the body is never actually short of calcium but can get lazy at absorbing it if on a calcium rich diet. Therefore dry cows fed low calcium diets become efficient absorbers and when moved on to a higher calcium diet at calving are less likely to be calcium deficient ie. get milk fever. So wondering if ewes on beet pre lambing become lazy absorbers and then when moved onto grass for lambing become deficient as they are unable to absorb enough calcium from the lower calcium grass. Thoughts.

1 of the reasons given for ewes prolapsing is they are too fat. However being too fat is a sign they've had an easy winter. Dr Rex Dolby who spoke at one of @easyram1 's "do's" said if they've had too easy a time in mid pregnancy, the body does indeed get lazy in mobilising calcium such that later in pregnancy when more is required, they don't keep up to requirements, which affects muscle tone, hence prolapses.

 

[SLA]

What symptoms were you getting?

They were going off their legs, if you were lucky and caught them wobbling they recovered if you found them down they mostly didn’t get back up. Like they lost all strength in them, eating and bright as buttons but couldn’t stand. Blood test results came back as calcium deficient and a free access mineral seemed to help. The in lamb ones would then suddenly crash - probably triggered by lambing? Husband became quiet skilled at shooting a ewe and removing the lambs -had a lot of cades that year.