What are the trace elements that sheep are most prone to lacking when raising sheep?

Raising sheep is a very traditional farming activity in China, and there are sheep-raising bases with different breeds in every province of China. Sheep have relatively strong growth capacity, and their nutritional needs during growth are also relatively high. Sheep also have relatively high demand for trace elements, and many people do not pay attention to supplementing trace elements when raising sheep. As a result, sheep often lack certain trace elements. So what are the trace elements that sheep are most prone to lacking when raising sheep? Let's take a look below!

1. Selenium

Selenium is the most abundant trace element in the whole body of sheep, and it is distributed in the cells throughout the entire body of sheep. Selenium can prevent the accumulation of lipid peroxides in the body, effectively protect cell membranes, and enhance the antioxidant capacity of sheep. It also helps stabilize the immune capacity of sheep and ensures growth and development. If sheep are deficient in selenium during growth, it will cause necrosis of the heart and liver, decline in pancreatic function, and muscle atrophy in lambs. If adult sheep lack selenium, it will lead to decreased reproductive function, lower reproductive rate, and insufficient body condition. Especially in the breeding areas of northeastern China, the phenomenon of selenium deficiency is more serious.

2. Copper

Copper is the main blood-forming element in the body of sheep. If sheep show copper deficiency, it will lead to poor absorption of iron, resulting in anemia. Growth rate decreases significantly, bones grow abnormally, and the color of the wool is also abnormal. If lambs lack copper, they have difficulty walking and stagger as if drunk. In addition, different breeds will show different symptoms when copper deficiency occurs. After sheep lack copper, copper sulfate can be appropriately supplemented in the feed. However, the amount must be paid attention to, because sheep liver cells have a relatively strong ability to absorb copper. If there is too much, it is easy for it to accumulate in the body of sheep, causing copper poisoning.

3. Zinc

Zinc is an important component of nutrients such as proteins and sugars. When sheep lack zinc, it will cause epidermal cells to gradually thicken and become keratinized, appetite declines, growth capacity is significantly weakened, reproductive rate is insufficient, and wool also falls off in large amounts. Zinc is also one of the trace elements most likely to be deficient when raising sheep. There was once a serious zinc deficiency phenomenon in the breeding areas of Inner Mongolia in China, which seriously reduced the reproductive rate and lowered breeding benefits. If zinc is deficient, long-acting zinc and other medicines should be given to sick sheep in time, or zinc fertilizer should be added to the fertilizer to supplement zinc.

4. Manganese and iodine

Manganese is an important trace element that promotes estrus in sheep. If this element is lacking, the estrus period of sheep is short, or they may even not go into estrus. When ewes lack manganese, their estrus symptoms are very indistinct, and the abortion rate after successful fertilization is very high. If iodine is deficient, it will hinder the metabolism of sheep, cause water shortage in the body of sheep, dry surface skin, and body condition will also decline to some extent. It may even reduce the semen quality of rams and affect the success rate of fertilization. When sheep are deficient in iodine and manganese, relevant feed should be supplemented in time.

The above are the several trace elements that sheep are most prone to lacking when raising sheep. Trace elements are very important to the growth of sheep. Everyone must pay attention to the nutritional proportion of trace elements when feeding feed to ensure the healthy growth of sheep. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for reading and supporting.