[carfarmer]

We've had some of our Zwartble lambs butchers and he warned us that the bones seamed brittle especially when doing the chops, and indeed we found a few fragments when we cooked them.
We had this problem before with a mature Ram but thought it was age related but this has happened a couple of times now. Could it be hereditary, hormonal, vitamin deficiency?
I read somewhere copper intake can cause brittle bones but not necessarily for butchering.
Anyone got any ideas?
I can't sell the meat unless i'm sure its safe and people don't expect bones fragments in their meat so would affect future sales.

[Marches Farmer]

Maybe the Zwartbles Sheep Association could offer advice?  Not a problem I've encountered with breeds I've kept.

[Fleecewife]

The only time I've found bone fragments in butchered meat is when the butcher has used an electric saw on very cold or frozen carcases.

If you check back through your sheep's pedigrees you should be able to track any hereditary aspect.

In humans, early brittle bones, osteogenesis imperfecta, has a genetic cause.  Otherwise, again in humans, it's a disease of age, menopause and lack of mobility, with an insufficient amount of calcium in the diet.   So the calcium content of your soil and forage is worth exploring.

[clydesdaleclopper]

If you are checking your soil also check magnesium levels as the body needs magnesium to mobilise calcium.

[SallyintNorth]

Talk to your vet

[carfarmer]

Thanks will see what the vet says when i pay him.

They have two lick blocks as I had the same though on vitamins, magnesium etc but they dont seem to use them very much.

will message Zwartble association see if they have any ideas.

The splinters were in young lambs this time, and I trust our butcher, his work is good and I use the same abattoir  where his normal meat comes from.

[farmvet]

definitely have a chat with your vet. Bone formation is quite complex & depends on the right balance of minerals & vitamins especially calcium, magnesium, vitamin d. as well as the carcass problems you've seen weakness in the bones can lead to fractures & deformitites so its definitely worth investigating. Blood tests ( on cohorts) are not that helpful, but if you have any ribs back from the carcasses they are the best for mineral analysis & also histology. Results take about a week or minerals but a month for histology due to the preparation needed of bone samples. May save you a lot of grief in the future though.