As cobalt is not stored by sheep, there is a risk of deficiency where lambs are grazing on cobalt deficient soils. Issues generally start to occur from the end of July onwards. Early signals include lambs performing below target or losing condition despite on a relatively good level of nutrition while tell-tale signs of more advanced problems are lambs starting to pine away, going dry in the wool and in cases experiencing ears becoming scaly or scabby with skin flaking away. Veterinary advice shows lambs requiring about 1mg cobalt per head per day. The most common treatment and preventative options are oral supplementation, cobalt bullets or boluses and feeding meal with adequate mineral inclusion levels. Where supplementing with an oral drench, whether a standard cobalt product, cobalt B12 product or mineral drench, remember cobalt supplementation needs to be administered every two weeks.

Poor kill-out

There are a lot of reports of lambs killing out poorly, which is increasing the risk of lambs falling below the minimum carcase weight or killing at fat scores of one and two. Draft lambs on a combination of weight and condition with kill-out values of 42% to 43% in lambs lacking flesh (ram lambs most at risk), not uncommon at present.

Breeding sales

Breeding sales are kicking off in greater frequency with sales activity stepping up a notch in August. Purchasing animals well in advance of the breeding season has numerous benefits with the major advantage being the potential to implement a sufficient quarantine period of at least four weeks and allow animals to become acclimatised to their new environment. This is particularly important when purchasing ram lambs in allowing young rams to transition from a high plane of nutrition to a grass-based diet.

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Sheep management notes