Iodine supplement for sheep

[Jonny_2]

Blood tested ewes back in December as we have bolused ewes pre-scanning for last 3 years but never tested them. Adequate for cobalt and selenium however iodine came back this week as very low. We are 6 weeks pre-lambing so have upped their cake, chucked some blocks out and going to vit drench them at the weekend. Might use the animax Se/I bolus at some point however don't want to waste money on selenium we don't need so going forward am thinking of drenching them. Anyone know the dilution rate for potassium iodide and dosing rate? And how long does it last for? Bit sceptical that the cattle pour on would work for sheep.

TIA

 

[Purli R]

40 Grams to a litre of water,thats COW rate we use probably dose 3/4 times a year cant remember but I think 50-75ml,forget pouring it on their backs.

 

[neilo]

Blood tested ewes back in December as we have bolused ewes pre-scanning for last 3 years but never tested them. Adequate for cobalt and selenium however iodine came back this week as very low. We are 6 weeks pre-lambing so have upped their cake, chucked some blocks out and going to vit drench them at the weekend. Might use the animax Se/I bolus at some point however don't want to waste money on selenium we don't need so going forward am thinking of drenching them. Anyone know the dilution rate for potassium iodide and dosing rate? And how long does it last for? Bit sceptical that the cattle pour on would work for sheep.

TIA

Along with a few other local farmers (those that are testing/investigating), we have been having some serious problems with Iodine deficiency in sheep over the last couple of years. Our vet has been making up a KI drench, which I have now started making up myself (cheaper that way).

100g of KI dissolved in 2L of water, then a 5ml dose (2.5ml recc for lambs) supplies 200mg of I. Buying KI off an eBay supplier, it costs less than 2p per 5ml dose.

If you google you will find details from NZ and Ireland, mostly suggesting that 200mg will last for a month or so, assuming little or no supply from feed/forage of course. If you are already bolusing, those will supply a background level of course.
One recommendation I saw was to dose in mid-pregnancy and again at 3-4 weeks pre-lambing. If my ewes tested low, 8 would be particularly keen to dose them pre-lambing, when deficiency can cause significantly higher losses.

Response to I supplementation here, and on other farms locally, has been dramatic to say the least, despite all of us bolusing already. We have been seeing poor performance generally, with lambs appearing ‘wormy’, although not according to FEC, complete with dark scours that would make you think of worms. Why it’s recently become an issue is anybody’s guess.

 

[Jonny_2]

Thank you very useful info! I am thinking I will bolus them once they’ve lambed as a safety net as well as a drench. Ours are 18 for Plasmall and a typical test should be 80-300. Hopefully they will pass some iodine onto lambs till weaning.

Generally lambs have done well here, we have tested low in cobalt and copper so bolus accordingly (Copinox and Mayo micro cobalt boluses/Animax cobalt at weaning). We did have a big lamb die after squirting out greeny black scour for 2 days this summer but VI centre couldn’t find a reason it died. Will drench them regularly this summer and see if we do better!

Bit of reading I’ve done suggested high sulphur in forage locks up iodine (kale is a high sulphur crop). We used fert with sulphur last year and have a poor grass growing year so wether high residual S has caused some lock up.

 

[neilo]

That's where our last tested lot were for Iodine level, despite having been bolused 2 months previously and a TE drench given at the same time. The drench has turned them round very quickly, seeing a visible difference in the field as well as condition on their backs.

We are seeing a problem on grazed grass, as well as roots, but hadn't heard about the Sulphur issue, which I know can reduce Selenium availability. We do put a low level of Sulphur on as fert (usually Kieserite) on everything now, from which the grass has responded well. Maybe that's what's causing the issue here?

 

[tepapa]

That's where our last tested lot were for Iodine level, despite having been bolused 2 months previously and a TE drench given at the same time. The drench has turned them round very quickly, seeing a visible difference in the field as well as condition on their backs.

We are seeing a problem on grazed grass, as well as roots, but hadn't heard about the Sulphur issue, which I know can reduce Selenium availability. We do put a low level of Sulphur on as fert (usually Kieserite) on everything now, from which the grass has responded well. Maybe that's what's causing the issue here?

That would be interesting neilo if your iodine deficiency is linked to the fertiliser.

 

[Jonny_2]

I can’t find where I read they thing about sulphur now, might be a weak link wot fert but got me thinking!

Didn’t say in the original post that we have had 3 ewes abort and another 5 with blood stained backends but can’t find any lambs. Took a lamb to VI centre and clear of Enzo thank god. Vaccinated for toxo and hopefully not campylobacter but time will tell. Putting it down to iodine atm.

 

[Farmer Fin]

If I remember correctly need to be careful with timing and giving to close to lambing as can cause issues with either poor colostrum or poor uptake.

 

[Global ovine]

Low soil trace element levels are usually corrected in NZ by applying the appropriate gms/ha with the annual maintenance fertiliser dressing. However iodine is an exception due to its rapid ability to dissolve in soil moisture and quickly leach out of the root zone. Hence the common practice in iodine deficit regions is to inject animals with long acting iodine products that load the animal storage organ (thyroid) to cover the periods of most need. It was formally done with Lipiodol, an oil based product that needed heating on a cool day to run through an auto loading syringe. Now a superior product for using in cool temperatures has replaced it called FLEXIDINE.
Ideal for ewes premating and maintains levels through lactation. Good for replacement stock post weaning to ensure growth rates to achieve target live weights.

 

[neilo]

Low soil trace element levels are usually corrected in NZ by applying the appropriate gms/ha with the annual maintenance fertiliser dressing. However iodine is an exception due to its rapid ability to dissolve in soil moisture and quickly leach out of the root zone. Hence the common practice in iodine deficit regions is to inject animals with long acting iodine products that load the animal storage organ (thyroid) to cover the periods of most need. It was formally done with Lipiodol, an oil based product that needed heating on a cool day to run through an auto loading syringe. Now a superior product for using in cool temperatures has replaced it called FLEXIDINE.
Ideal for ewes premating and maintains levels through lactation. Good for replacement stock post weaning to ensure growth rates to achieve target live weights.

Another product that’s not available over here.

Is there any likelihood of toxicity problems if Iodine supplementation is overdone?

 

[Global ovine]

Another product that’s not available over here.

Is there any likelihood of toxicity problems if Iodine supplementation is overdone?

No toxicity problems that I am aware of. I base this on a situation were a young shepherd had injected a mob with Flexidine, however they got boxed up over night with an untreated mob, so they did the lot again. I cannot speak for somebody mixing up a brew using Potassium iodide and getting the decimal place very very wrong.

Re. Flexidine in the UK; is this another example of lack of demand through ignorance of the product which may be available via vet importation, such as is the case with Smartshot vit B12.

 

[Jonny_2]

No toxicity problems that I am aware of. I base this on a situation were a young shepherd had injected a mob with Flexidine, however they got boxed up over night with an untreated mob, so they did the lot again. I cannot speak for somebody mixing up a brew using Potassium iodide and getting the decimal place very very wrong.

Re. Flexidine in the UK; is this another example of lack of demand through ignorance of the product which may be available via vet importation, such as is the case with Smartshot vit B12.

Is Flexidine the peanut oil stuff? When I was in NZ I remember using a product which needed keeping warm to use properly. Left if it a truck with the heater flat out on a cold morning!

Going to do them 6 weeks before lambing then again once they’ve lambed so hopefully avoid any negative effects on colostrum, will be inside soon on cake and will put out loose minerals.

 

[JD-Kid]

Is Flexidine the peanut oil stuff? When I was in NZ I remember using a product which needed keeping warm to use properly. Left if it a truck with the heater flat out on a cold morning!

Going to do them 6 weeks before lambing then again once they’ve lambed so hopefully avoid any negative effects on colostrum, will be inside soon on cake and will put out loose minerals.

yep thats the stuff. in a peanut oil carrier
most of the time done pre mating should cover them for about 10 months but if on kales. rapes etc over winter. it may drain them. down a bit

 

[scholland]

Another product that’s not available over here.

Is there any likelihood of toxicity problems if Iodine supplementation is overdone?

Surely your vet could import some? Be interesting to try it as you have such a recognised problem with iodine.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Surely your vet could import some? Be interesting to try it as you have such a recognised problem with iodine.

Cost. Single imports get expensive if not enough demand. Making your own drench is the cheapest thing and normally very effective.

If very low iodine at grass check pH etc of soil. It’s amazing how having “healthy” grass fixes so many deficiencies in livestock as grass uptake improves dramatically.

 

[neilo]

Cost. Single imports get expensive if not enough demand. Making your own drench is the cheapest thing and normally very effective.

If very low iodine at grass check pH etc of soil. It’s amazing how having “healthy” grass fixes so many deficiencies in livestock as grass uptake improves dramatically.

This. I reckon I can make up the drench for around 2p/5ml dose, and of course, the boluses should be providing most of requirements so drenching should be needed to frequently. We are also high in molybdenum, and low in Cobalt & Selenium, so bolusing has got to be right here for a base treatment.

Ph is all fine, and I'm trying to maintain it at 6 or just over on pp ground. The only thing that I can see that would increase intakes here, apart from more reseeding (some ground can't be), is addressing low Sodium issues by applying Ag salt, which was done last year.

 

[JD-Kid]

think the drench are short term ok if stock in say once a month. and can be toped up once month

 

[Mr always wrong]

Another product that’s not available over here.

Is there any likelihood of toxicity problems if Iodine supplementation is overdone?

Easily imported through vets, mine imported quite a lot this year so kept cost down

 

[Global ovine]

[QUOTE="Jonny_2, post: 5912362, member: 39054"]Is Flexidine the peanut oil stuff? When I was in NZ I remember using a product which needed keeping warm to use properly. Left if it a truck with the heater flat out on a cold morning!

Going to do them 6 weeks before lambing then again once they’ve lambed so hopefully avoid any negative effects on colostrum, will be inside soon on cake and will put out loose minerals.[/QUOTE]


No, the peanut oil stuff is Lipiodol (see my earlier post #9). Flexidine can be used on frosty mornings.
Don't waste your time doing animals again after 6 weeks as it should cover them for months.

 

[Mr always wrong]

[QUOTE="Jonny_2, post: 5912362, member: 39054"]Is Flexidine the peanut oil stuff? When I was in NZ I remember using a product which needed keeping warm to use properly. Left if it a truck with the heater flat out on a cold morning!

Going to do them 6 weeks before lambing then again once they’ve lambed so hopefully avoid any negative effects on colostrum, will be inside soon on cake and will put out loose minerals.

No, the peanut oil stuff is Lipiodol (see my earlier post #9). Flexidine can be used on frosty mornings.
Don't waste your time doing animals again after 6 weeks as it should cover them for months.[/QUOTE]
We use depodine, bloody awful to use in cold, but it works