RushesToo
Member
- Location
- Fingringhoe
@hendrebc I think you culled well for stock that excreted TE's too easily. The lore around don't buy from mining area proves it.Anyone have any thoughts on stock that are adapted to farms that are deficient in trace elements?
We are low iodine here according to soil and forage samples (haven't done any blood tests yet) but it doesn't seem to be causing any problems.
Looking back over the years I think it has caused problems like dopey calves that wouldn't suck maybe a few dead lambs because of it but not many. But we didn't know what it was until I read about iodine deficiency on here (believe it or not we didn't have any internet till a few years ago so finding things out was hard work) accepted it as normal and culled any problems. Now we don't have any typical iodine deficiency looking problems. Cows get in calf, ewes and lambs are performing as I'd expect. So did I cull my way out of a trace element deficiency? I will add that we never had awful trouble enough to go to a vet for just a few calves every year that wouldn't suck and everyone round here moans about that. Odd lambs that appeared never to get up if born alive but again not many.
It used to be well known around here not to buy any sheep from where there were either lead or copper mines because the sheep born there wouldn't thrive and possibly would die if they came from there to anywhere else. So I'm guessing that they would be adapted to thrive off high levels of those minerals could the same thing happen in reverse?
I've been meaning to get some minerals into my stock to try and improve the low levels but if there isn't a problem I might just be spending on something that I don't need?
Only you can work out if the continued cost of bolusing with TE's pays or not.
Have to say that is a difficult one. Pete sprays seaweed stew which probably does the same thing as a bolus. @Kiwi Pete ?