Trace element drench

[hillman]

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.

Findings it's all in our mind

 

[ISCO]

Anybody using Smartshot?

We have used Smart shot this year. We have struggled with cobalt deficiency for a lot of years. Tried boluses without seeing a difference and have drenched with straight cobalt made by merchant every 10 days which worked well but labour intensive.

Gave every lamb half ml Smart shot beginning July. Lambs doing well. Blood tests recently showed very high levels B12 and vet thought Smart shot is working. We will do them again next year.

Last year blood tests showed low selenium in ewes and we bolused them, this year selinium levels fine and we wont be bolussing ewes.

 

[GTB]

We have used Smart shot this year. We have struggled with cobalt deficiency for a lot of years. Tried boluses without seeing a difference and have drenched with straight cobalt made by merchant every 10 days which worked well but labour intensive.

Gave every lamb half ml Smart shot beginning July. Lambs doing well. Blood tests recently showed very high levels B12 and vet thought Smart shot is working. We will do them again next year.

Last year blood tests showed low selenium in ewes and we bolused them, this year selinium levels fine and we wont be bolussing ewes.

Is smartshot expensive?

 

[Downton_shep]

Is smartshot expensive?

Yes

Think it's about £1 per lamb. Six months cover.

 

[neilo]

Yes

Think it's about £1 per lamb. Six months cover.

And just supplies Cobalt IIRC.

 

[salers]

Soon spend a pound on bolus or drench.

 

[GTB]

Soon spend a pound on bolus or drench.

50 p mayo bolus last up to six months. £1 bolus up to a year.....

 

[Bury the Trash]

Yes

Think it's about £1 per lamb. Six months cover.

at 0.5ml or 1ml?

 

[Downton_shep]

at 0.5ml or 1ml?

Not sure what the dose was as it was just part of a email the vet sent me.

 

[Downton_shep]

And just supplies Cobalt IIRC.

This was on the email as well

The downside to the Smartshot B12 is that it doesn't contain any selenium (there's another product that does, but VMD won't allow its use in the UK). However, as sheep can store selenium, just giving a selenium drench every 6 to 8 weeks should be sufficient.

 

[GTB]

If the ewes have decent cobalt levels one would assume their milk should contain enough cobalt for the lambs needs up until weaning surely??? Anyone know?

 

[Tim W]

The cheapest drench/bolus/injection is the one that works for you on your farm

 

[Downton_shep]

If the ewes have decent cobalt levels one would assume their milk should contain enough cobalt for the lambs needs up until weaning surely??? Anyone know?

Not sure it would be enough to get them to weaning, once deficient grass starts becoming part of the diet levels would start dropping.

 

[Bury the Trash]

If the ewes have decent cobalt levels one would assume their milk should contain enough cobalt for the lambs needs up until weaning surely??? Anyone know?

#17

 

[ISCO]

Yes

Think it's about £1 per lamb. Six months cover.

As said above smartshot £1 for 1 ml which lasts 6 months. We gave lambs half ml as most will be gone by time it runs out. As Timw said above it is cheap if it works for you.
Smartshot does only contain B12 however bloods tell us that this is all we need and proof for us is that lambs are doing well this year.
We have tried a range of bolus on lambs over years and none seemed to work.
Lambs do thrive when on mother's and it is only around end June when we see cobalt deficiency problems in that lambs stop thriving.
In respect of selenium we had a deficiency last year and bolused ewes and injected lambs with vitasel. Vet said that if we made sure ewes got adequate selenium in diet pre lambing then they should pass enough selenium to lambs which appears to have worked as bloods this year say selenium fine and ewes much fitter.

 

[Razor8]

50 p mayo bolus last up to six months. £1 bolus up to a year.....

It's 6 weeks not 6 months for the mayo bolus

 

[Woolless]

It's 6 weeks not 6 months for the mayo bolus

I forget the names but they have two different types of lamb bolus, one as you describe and one which does 6 months.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

It's 6 weeks not 6 months for the mayo bolus

6 week bolus is around 25p

 

[GTB]

It's 6 weeks not 6 months for the mayo bolus

Really?

We've just done all our lambs and they've put on condition since then.

Edit: I thought you meant the six month ones only lasted six weeks.

 

[ford4000]

Yes

Think it's about £1 per lamb. Six months cover.

I used 0.5ml for 3 months cover ,that costd 50p a lamb then. Drench them with a cheap drench mix from the vets every 2 weeks after that when I'm drawing fat lambs