[Jacob-list] Cu Deficiency

[MarmontJacobs at aol.com]

Hi Sharon,
                   I haven't had any experience of swayback in newborn lambs, 
but delayed swayback caused by copper deficiency (or a misbalance of other 
minerals to give the effect of copper deficiency) has shown up as a failure 
to thrive accompanied by a distinct grey band in the fleece at around 6ish 
months of age (apparently quite variable timescale). Then (before the copper 
boluses) a weakness in the front pasterns in one or two lambs a year (out of 
around 25 or so) such that one pastern might even buckle under on longish 
grass. Then a dullness in their demeanour and loss of appetite.

Following our move a month ago to Montgomeryshire, Wales...more sheep than 
people it seems...I have just lost one of my favourite ewes to the meningitis 
form of Listeria - very rapid onset and believed to be caused by the entry of 
the bacteria through an abrasion in the mouth from rabbit-disturbed earth. 
Afrikah was our first lamb and first Champion - very sad.

This evening my husband is bringing our last batch of sheep across from 
Norfolk - think of us in the dark "encouraging" ewe lambs up a bank and 
across a stream with stepping stones as the llamas temporary paddock is in 
the way of the gate. What we do for our sheep.

Trisha M-S
Marmont Jacobs and Willow Farm Llamas, Montgomeryshire