The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: ewesaidit on December 08, 2012, 05:42:11 pm
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I put out a Crystalyx Extra High Energy tub to ewe lambs today having read the tub and checked there was no reference to copper. Then, at home went on to their website and saw a reference to the 'standard' tup not having copper added, which has now made me worry that the high energy version does have some copper in it. It does say for cattle and sheep which is what made me check the ingredients in the first place.
Worried now - does it have copper in it or not? My sheep are a very copper sensitive breed. Can't phone anyone til Monday now.
thanks
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impressed with Crystalyx customer service! - sent a message earlier not expecting a reply til Monday and got a response confirming that there is no added copper and it is fine
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That's good :thumbsup: Yes, sheep licks don't have copper in, for just this reason.
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Crystalyx do make some licks which are not safe for sheep - and say so in very large letters all around. So if it doesn't say that, you're safe enough. :thumbsup:
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Copper sensitivity can be very difficult to work out. It varies hugely between breeds and areas. For example in areas of copper defficiency (most of Scotland, parts south of the border and anywhere with a high Molybdimum [I'm cetrain that ain't how it is spelt!]) it can be perfectly safe to feed high copper cattle minerals to texels ewes (normally seen as being copper sensitive) due to the extremely low levels of copper in the pasture. This is the opposite of some areas like most of east anglia for example where there is more than adaquate copper in the pasture and if cattle minerals are given to the sheep trouble will ensue! That said Suffock sheep (and most other black headed breeds) will suck up copper all day long often with no ill effects while 'primitive' breeds and lighter haired varieties that have less need for copper will be bowled over in no time.
Where you are using something like a block or a lick and intake is resricted by the nature of the feed very short term feeding, for example where the weather has changed and the animals need supplementing until a different feed can be sourced, you will usually be ok. All Feedstuffs should have a full breakdown of the mineral content on them somewhere on order to ensure that mix ups don't happen.
Copper is needed by sheep for fertility and for hair colouring and pigmentation. Hence why suffolks are far less copper sensitive than cheviots for example. Copper dieficiency can be easy to spot in black headed sheep, suffock, Scotch Blackface, Beulahs etc they tend to go an iridescent brown below their eyes. A blood test is really the only way to give a definate answer.
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thanks for replies folks, especially Dougal for the comprehensive response - most interesting