[Jacob-list] mineral question

[tim koenig]

I've had three years of increasing lambing problems, culminating in
100% mortality last spring. Vets originally thought it was some virus,
but the flock did not develop the expected immunity. This winter
several of my rams became very unthrifty and either died or were
finally put down. I did necropsy   on two and sent organ samples to
the WSU vet school. Results showed sever goiter, along with resulting
multiple organ failure from various infections.  Turns out that one of
the results of goiter is severe damage to the immune system.

The flock was put on Purina Sheep mineral, supplemented with  E.D.D.I.
from VEDCO. After about a month and a half of supplementation, the
remaining rams are nearly recovered and putting weight back on.
Through all this no of my ewes showed any signs of the disease. On
checking the Merk Vet. Manual, however, I
found,(http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/182801.htm),
the paragraph on Iodine deficiency Perfectly describes what was
happening to my lambs.

Having never even heard of this problem in sheep, I did some more
research on causes, and came  across some information of goiterogenic
plants. Came up with one candidate, Flixweed, which I had never heard
of.

(http://ddr.nal.usda.gov/bitstream/10113/9257/1/IND43954300.pdf) and
(http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=DESO2)

I believe this has started showing up in my pasture, this summer I'll
be able to check for sure.

I hope this will be of some help to you, and others.

Tim

On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 10:21 AM, Sara Dunham
<thecrazysheeplady at myfavoritesheep.com> wrote:

> I have a mixed flock of about 15 Jacobs, 15 "united nations" of sheep.  We

> are in a good growing area with plenty of grass.  I'm feeding a high quality

> sheep mineral that we are bringing down from a mill in Indiana, bermuda

> grass hay.  Everyone is pretty hog fat, so I only grain supplement my old

> (10+ years) Jacobs and one young Jacob ewe that has battled through three

> undiagnosable maladies which seem to be finally controlled by dosing with a

> vitamin drench (?).  So, I now have this odd young Jacob ewe, an older Jacob

> wether with what the vets think is a goiter, and this morning watched

> another old Jacob wether gulping down mouthfuls of dirt.  No odd symptoms

> from any other breeds of sheep.  What is going on here?  I've been told by

> an Icelandic breeder that the primitive breeds require different

> vitamin/mineral supplements - mainly copper.  Any thoughts?

>

> Thanks!

>

> Sara

>

> --

> Sara Dunham

> Punkin's Patch

> Cynthiana, Kentucky

> www.myfavoritesheep.com

> http://myfavoritesheep.blogspot.com

> www.myfavoritesheep.etsy.com

>

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