Trace element drench

[hillman]

 

[johnflimston]

You can make your own -


i.e Cobalt

Buy cobalt sulphate and dissolve that and administer it up to 1 mg/kg cobalt (35 mg/kg hydrated cobalt sulphate) at monthly intervals.

Waste of time ( or almost) dosing with cobalt monthly.
Sheep can't store it so to be effective it would need to be done a least weekly preferably twice weekly.

 

[CopperBeech]

Waste of time ( or almost) dosing with cobalt monthly.
Sheep can't store it so to be effective it would need to be done a least weekly preferably twice weekly.

Fairplay. I'll tell my vet he's an idiot.

 

[Razor8]

yes---run as 1 mob
This is the same flock that in a previous year i split in half at 8 weeks and treated 1/2 with bolus to no effect
Hence my thoughts that it is something that needs fixing on a longer term

Brilliant trial. Why haven't our government agencies done more research like this? Info like that is gold dust

 

[neilo]

Brilliant trial. Why haven't our government agencies done more research like this? Info like that is gold dust

Because every farm, and every field almost, is different. Not to mention differences in breed efficiencies at absorbing TE's from forage?

Results from Tim's trial won't necessarily be relevant next door, let alone on a hill somewhere.

 

[Bob the beef]

Anybody using Smartshot?

QMS monitor farm in South West Scotland doing a trial with smart shot this year. Some done with full dose,some with half, and control with none. Will post the results in this thread when we have had the next meeting. at the last meeting, just post weaning, very little difference recorded between any group, but I suspect that will have changed now.

 

[Green farmer]

You can make your own -


i.e Cobalt

Buy cobalt sulphate and dissolve that and administer it up to 1 mg/kg cobalt (35 mg/kg hydrated cobalt sulphate) at monthly intervals.

Was going to do this until I read, cobalt in its dust form is highly dangerous and carcinogenic. Not worth the risk messing with. Easier to pay the pence for stuff already mixed up.

 

[salers]

Is there any risk when handling boluses?

 

[alwayslearning]

I believe smart shot has worked on this farm but did not do a controll group to have full proof next year.
I no of two other farmers that believe works

 

[Downton_shep]

Got a pic ?

 

[JD-Kid]

ummm TE drenchs
wake up have a fizzy vit b tablet and by mid after noon yer will have pi55ed it all out most drenchs will be gone by the next sunrise
alot of clever marketing IE con's out there

 

[hillman]

View attachment 571480 View attachment 571478

Slight difference of recommended mix and dosage rates by a narrow gap of water

 

[Jim bean]

The bloke who advises me on trace elements reckons anything that is pee'd out is then available to plants so is not lost.

 

[JD-Kid]

The bloke who advises me on trace elements reckons anything that is pee'd out is then available to plants so is not lost.

so would be better treating the plants if it's lacking in the plants ..

 

[Jim bean]

so would be better treating the plants if it's lacking in the plants ..

Yes but. He reckons there is no way to get selenium to stay available in the soil if it is sprayed on, but if has passed through a sheep/cow it will stay available.

 

[JD-Kid]

Yes but. He reckons there is no way to get selenium to stay available in the soil if it is sprayed on, but if has passed through a sheep/cow it will stay available.

in a TE drench it's very short term better as a injection or add as prills to fert cheep to add prills to fert and all year supply

 

[Razor8]

Because every farm, and every field almost, is different. Not to mention differences in breed efficiencies at absorbing TE's from forage?

Results from Tim's trial won't necessarily be relevant next door, let alone on a hill somewhere.

i get that point but surely if wide spread trails are done across the country it will benefit the farmer and we can slowly understand how different breeds and management systems react to different supplementation's. is it not a good starting point?

why not pick 100 farms across the country and grass/soil sample then categorize breeds and age/type of leys.

also there are farms that are renowned for fattening livestock that require no supplementation, why dont they benchmark these lands and monitor levels over the year?

 

[bovine]

in a TE drench it's very short term better as a injection or add as prills to fert cheep to add prills to fert and all year supply

The problem I have with this is where we have sheep in the UK. They are naturally suited to more extensive systems and much of the bits of the country with the most sheep have lots of land you struggle with a quad bike, never mind spinning fert. Perhaps leave the better land to the cattle and exploit the less favourable areas for sheep production?

 

[JD-Kid]

The problem I have with this is where we have sheep in the UK. They are naturally suited to more extensive systems and much of the bits of the country with the most sheep have lots of land you struggle with a quad bike, never mind spinning fert. Perhaps leave the better land to the cattle and exploit the less favourable areas for sheep production?

thats how we do hill country and yer can't drive a quad anywere on it
some things cheeper treating the animal other times better gains for pants and animal by spreading

 

[Shep1]

i get that point but surely if wide spread trails are done across the country it will benefit the farmer and we can slowly understand how different breeds and management systems react to different supplementation's. is it not a good starting point?

why not pick 100 farms across the country and grass/soil sample then categorize breeds and age/type of leys.

also there are farms that are renowned for fattening livestock that require no supplementation, why dont they benchmark these lands and monitor levels over the year?

As far as I know Teagasc are doing a trial at the moment to investigate how common mineral deficiencies are. They were taking blood and grass samples a few times over the year and monitoring growth rates on a number of commercial farms.
It only started last year so I don't think there is any results yet.