SHEEP 201
A Beginner's Guide to Raising Sheep

Sheep 101

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Minerals required by sheep

Mineral	Function in body	Sources	Normal rRequirement	Signs of deficiency or reduced intake	Toxic level	Signs of toxicity or excess intake
Calcium (Ca)	Skeletal	limestone bonemeal dicalcium phosphate alfalfa leaf meal kelp	0.20 to 0.82% of diet	abnormal bone development (rickets) tetany urinary calculi milk fever	na	Mn deficiency kidney stones (calcium carbonate)
Cobalt	Synthesis of vitamin B12	cobalt sulfate cobalt fluoride	0.10 to 0.20 ppm	B12 deficiency lackof appetite unthriftiness emaciation weakness anemia decreased estrus activity	10 ppm	na
Copper (Cu)	Nervous system Nerve and muscle coordination Interact with Mo and S	Normal feedstuffs copper sulfate copper carbonate copper oxide	7 to 11 ppm	ataxia steely or stringy wool swayback anemia osteoporosis spontaneous bone fractures infertility	25 ppm	red blood cell hemolysis jaundice hemoglobinuria death
Fluoride (Fl)	Bones and teeth	occurs freely in nature fluorides	na	not available	60-150 ppm	anorexia chalky white bones thickened bones nerve exposure from teeth
Iodine (I)	Synthesis of thyroid hormone	Iodized salt Potassium iodide	0.10 to 0.80 ppm	thyroid enlargement (goiter) weak or dead lambs lambs born without wool	50 ppm	depression hypothermia slow growth
Iron (Fe)	Component of hemoglobin Oxygen transport	ferrous sulfate ferrous carbonate ferric chloride ferric oxide	30 to 50 ppm	slow growth lethargy increased respiration rate decreased resistance Mn deficiency	500 ppm	na
Magnesium (Mg)	Skeletal Muscle integrity Enzyme systems Nervous system	Plant protein supplements Legumes Magnesium fertilization magnesium carbonate, oxate, and sulfate	0.12 to 0.18% of DMI	Grass tetany Frothing at the mouth excessive salivation loss of appetite calcificiation of soft tissues	0.8%	lethargy disturbed locomotion diarrhea decreased feed intake death
Manganese (Mn)	Component of bone, hair,and wool reproduction (first estrus)	traditional feedstuffs	20 to 40 ppm	ataxia impaired growth skeletal abnormalities disturbed reproduction incoordination of baby lambs	1,000 ppm	na
Molybdenum (Mo)	Body fluids Interaction with Cu and S	molybdenum sulfate	0.50 ppm	Cu toxicity at lower dietary levels of Cu	10 ppm	diarrhea increased dietary requirements for Cu and S
Phosphorus (P)	Skeletal	Dicalcium phosphate bonemeal sodium phosphate	0.16 to 0.38% of DM	Abnormal bone development (rickets) Poor growth depraved appetite	na	white muscle disease
Potassium (K)	Osmotic pressure Acid-base balance Energy utilization protein synthesis	Potassium chloride Potassium sulfate	0.50 to 0.80% of DM	na	na	Decreased animal performance
Salt (Na and Cl)	Regulatory	Trace mineral salt iodinzed salt	0.09 to 0.18% of DM	decreased feed and water intake decreased milk production decreased growth Consumption of poisonous plants chewing on wood licking dirt	4% DMI	na
Selenium (Se)	Cardiac and skeletal muscle	seleniferous plants elemental selenium	0.10 to 0.20 ppm	unthriftiness early embryonic death periodontal disease white muscle disease	2 ppm	wool loss sore feet sloughed hooves reduce reproductive performance
Sulfur (S)	Protein metabolism interacts with Cu and Mo	Methionine sodium sulfate	0.14 to 0.26% of DM	Loss of appetite Reduced weight gain weight loss reduced wool production shedding wool decrease Se retention	0.4 % of DMI	na
Zinc (Zn)	Normal reproductive activity	na	20-33 ppm	reduced growth rate excessive salivation parakeratosis delayed wound healing impaired reproduction wool picking loss of crimp	750 ppm	minimal risk

Vitamins required by sheep

Vitamin	Function in body	Source	Requirement	Signs of deficiency
A	Normal reproductive activity	β-carotene green forage dehydrated hay	31 mg of β-carotene per day	growth retardaton retained placenta bone malformation degeneration of reproductive organs reproductive failure night blindess
B-complex thiamine (B1) riboflavin (B3) Niacin (B6) Panothenic acid folic acid	Rumen function	Synthesized by rumen	Synthesized by rumen	polioencephalomalacia (thiamine)
D	Prevent rickets and osteomalacia	Dam's milk Sun-cured hays Vitamin D2 or D3	252 IU/100 lbs.	congenital malformations rickets osteomalacia
E	maintenance of doy cellbrane integrity Interacts with Se	High quality legume hays dehydrated alfalfa wheat germ Vitamin E supplement	7 IU (ewes) 9-10 IU (lambs)	white muscle disease
K1 and K2	Blood clotting	green, leafy feedstuffs K2 synthesized by rumen	Synthesized by rumen	na

<= Flock Nutritional Requirements

Last updated 15-Nov-2009
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