ENSURING the right trace element balance in all types of livestock was highlighted at an open day held at Castle Grant Home Farm, Grantown, on Tuesday.
Speaking at the ‘Driving efficiencies into suckler cows and breeding ewes’ event organised by SAC Consulting, dairy specialist, Dr Lorna MacPherson, said that while there may be no obvious signs, deficiencies can reduce productivity by 5%-10% as it directly impacts health, immunity, growth, fertility and lactation. 
While Dr MacPherson discussed the importance of iodine, selenium, vitamin E and salt in the diet, she also highlighted the fact that a number of producers may be over-supplementing livestock with trace elements through the use of boluses and mineral powders. 
Taking copper toxicity in cattle as an example, she pointed out that it is much less common in sheep than it is cattle but can lead to a high copper content in the liver which in turn damages liver cells and can lead to death. 
Therefore, she urged producers to sit down with an advisor to discuss not only supplemented minerals and trace elements, but also environmental factors as well as forage analysis to avoid breaking the legal limits of trace elements. 
Dr MacPherson also discussed iodine, a deficiency of which can lead to stillbirths, weak calves and reduced fertility, but also has a detrimental effect on sheep. 
Feeding high levels of iodine to sheep in the last three weeks of pregnancy, she said, can reduce the lamb’s ability to absorb antibodies from colostrum, but it often has a positive effect when offered to cattle cattle. 
Her take home message for the group was to test forage for antagonists and ash content, avoid over-supplementing as it will not only save money but may also be detrimental to animal health, and be aware of legal limits as producers could be held responsible.