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Prolapse causes
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<blockquote data-quote="Global ovine" data-source="post: 3619066" data-attributes="member: 493"><p>Forget breed differences (except Finns) as all UK breeds are affected by the same underlying problem with the initiation of the prolapse being due to multiple factors such as uterine load, steepness of hills, body condition score, (maybe an infection), level of feeding in the 2nd trimester, etc.</p><p></p><p>The underlying problem is Potassium mainly. Ewes should be conditioned to losing some weight during the second trimester so during the third trimester they can mobilise Calcium from their bones to grow the foetuses and colostrum over the last month particularly. Calcium cannot be mobilised if the intake of Magnesium is low. Potasium boosted silage crops offer a big risk to ewes if fed in late pregnancy as Potasium replaces Magnesium in the chemistry of the rumen. Therefore use K fertilisers only after the crop has been harvested. Salt blocks (Na) also competes with Mg.</p><p>There is no Magnesium storage organ in the mammalian body, therefore Magnesium has to be part of the daily diet. But with all-grass feeding, Magnesium is not taken up by plants when soil temperatures are below 5 degrees C. To solve this problem, dusting of new grass breaks (be they 1 day or 4 days) with causemag is the standard practice for both cattle and sheep. If indoor feeding, it is a lot easier to mix it with the daily ration.</p><p></p><p>Magnesium uptake by plants is severely affected by damp and dull weather. Therefore outside lambing shepherds should be mindful of the risk being greater when such weather hangs around.</p><p></p><p>Note the underlying cause of both milk fever and prolapse is the same.......too much K and not enough Mg to allow sufficient Ca mobilisation. Hence farmers saying "its a fine line between the two."</p><p></p><p>Dr. Rex Dolby (retired authority on such chemical interactions with soils/plants/ruminants) has written on this subject in the booklet written for Easyrams. He also mentions the importance of blood pH due to the factors I have mentioned above.</p><p></p><p>I had severe problems on my previous intensive hill farm with prolific Romneys. The soil type was naturally very high in K. Using Rex's advice we went from 7% prolapse incidence to less than 5 cases in 2000 ewes annually. </p><p>I had ram clients who moved farms taking their flocks with them. Some went from nil to high incidence and visa versa, showing it was environmental, not genetic.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Global ovine, post: 3619066, member: 493"] Forget breed differences (except Finns) as all UK breeds are affected by the same underlying problem with the initiation of the prolapse being due to multiple factors such as uterine load, steepness of hills, body condition score, (maybe an infection), level of feeding in the 2nd trimester, etc. The underlying problem is Potassium mainly. Ewes should be conditioned to losing some weight during the second trimester so during the third trimester they can mobilise Calcium from their bones to grow the foetuses and colostrum over the last month particularly. Calcium cannot be mobilised if the intake of Magnesium is low. Potasium boosted silage crops offer a big risk to ewes if fed in late pregnancy as Potasium replaces Magnesium in the chemistry of the rumen. Therefore use K fertilisers only after the crop has been harvested. Salt blocks (Na) also competes with Mg. There is no Magnesium storage organ in the mammalian body, therefore Magnesium has to be part of the daily diet. But with all-grass feeding, Magnesium is not taken up by plants when soil temperatures are below 5 degrees C. To solve this problem, dusting of new grass breaks (be they 1 day or 4 days) with causemag is the standard practice for both cattle and sheep. If indoor feeding, it is a lot easier to mix it with the daily ration. Magnesium uptake by plants is severely affected by damp and dull weather. Therefore outside lambing shepherds should be mindful of the risk being greater when such weather hangs around. Note the underlying cause of both milk fever and prolapse is the same.......too much K and not enough Mg to allow sufficient Ca mobilisation. Hence farmers saying "its a fine line between the two." Dr. Rex Dolby (retired authority on such chemical interactions with soils/plants/ruminants) has written on this subject in the booklet written for Easyrams. He also mentions the importance of blood pH due to the factors I have mentioned above. I had severe problems on my previous intensive hill farm with prolific Romneys. The soil type was naturally very high in K. Using Rex's advice we went from 7% prolapse incidence to less than 5 cases in 2000 ewes annually. I had ram clients who moved farms taking their flocks with them. Some went from nil to high incidence and visa versa, showing it was environmental, not genetic. [/QUOTE]
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