Seasonal/annual variation in trace elements

[Mcnulty24]

Looking to take bloods this year to get a picture of the trace element situation for the lambs and ewes on the farm. As the rainfall/temperature/grass growth varies each year I assume that the TE content of the grass will vary from year to year.

Do people take boods every year and then supplement accordingly or do it once every few years and assume that it pretty much stays the same, giving the same supplements each year?

Up until now I have been drenching as a matter of course when the sheep are in having something else done. Would like to be a bit more focussed and scientific in my supplementation in the future.

Thanks

 

[tepapa]

As far as I gather (I am no expert, far from it) there is little variation from year to year. There may be seasonal variation if stock are consuming more soil with feed during winter months on bare pastures etc.
Bloods are useful but not be all and end all. There best used along side the results for trace elements from a forage sample, which will give you the amount the stock have available in the feed their consuming.
You can then get advice as to what is low or locked up and needs supplementing.
I haven't used so can't recommend either way but someone like www.clinwil.com would be where to look for specialist advice.

 

[JD-Kid]

As far as I gather (I am no expert, far from it) there is little variation from year to year. There may be seasonal variation if stock are consuming more soil with feed during winter months on bare pastures etc.
Bloods are useful but not be all and end all. There best used along side the results for trace elements from a forage sample, which will give you the amount the stock have available in the feed their consuming.
You can then get advice as to what is low or locked up and needs supplementing.
I haven't used so can't recommend either way but someone like www.clinwil.com would be where to look for specialist advice.

true can be differed. year to year depending on. how much dirt. etc they eat. crops grown what plants have uptake. etc etc
some thing. maybe the same. locking up mins etc etc something in water that can't be controlled. etc etc

 

[SheepTerrier]

We were wondering something similar to you about minerals and what we are short of,if any. Lambs seem to do well early and then drop off this time of year then pick up again in late autumn and winter. We did wonder if the quality of the grass at this time of the year was a major factor though?
We did contact Clinwil in May after we had seen them at the NSA winter fair and it sounded really interesting at what they could do. We was told the rep would be in touch didn't hear anything for a fortnight so rang them and was told the rep was ill and was also busy running his own contracting business but would be in touch but still we have not heard a single word from them!!!!
Don't know if anyone else does anything similar as it sounded as if they could tailor mineral drenches to fit your individual needs which would be good!