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Cobalt for lambs

k mac

Have a small few lambs that have very bad thrive, 32kgs while there comrades over 50, have dosed a few weeks ago and are not dirty. Have scaley ears so think its lacking in cobalt. Gave them ovigold drench about 2 months ago and no great improvement when they went on to good grass, so gave it again yesterday. Read somewhere they need to get cobalt every 2 weeks and the ovigold says it can only be given every 2 months. What are my options, as i only have a few dont want to have to buy a large amount thats expensive.

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wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058268129/cobalt-for-lambs

You can get cobalt sulphate and mix it yourself, I think when I worked it out it cost under 1c/lamb each time. Cobalt only lasts about two weeks in the lamb so they have to be dosed at least every two weeks...... We'd have nothing thriving here if we didn't supplement with cobalt,

https://sheepproducts.ie/products/cobalt-sulphate?variant=23705606914106&currency=EUR&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2rWD44zs-gIVsYFQBh1vTgu1EAQYASABEgL1APD_BwE

k mac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119764449#Comment_119764449

Thanks i will get that i will be a long time going through 1kg but im sure it lasts once opened. I had thought about bolus them as well but as the bolus has copper in it and they are charollis x was wary.

I have ewes i bought with lambs at foot and not sure what cross exactly they are, so am wary of bolus them either for the same reason. Could the cooper in the bolus be fatal if the ewe had texel in her.

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119764719#Comment_119764719

You can get boluses without copper, I use animax boluses or tracesure sheep I think it's called now for our ewes, they come with or without copper.

You could use animax or similar in the lambs too if you wanted, they're expensive but handier than dosing every fortnight. I don't think they give enough cobalt in our situation so we give them cobalt sulphate in the worm doses to top them up.

https://animax-vet.com/product/tracesure-sheep/

You could use these on your lambs.

https://animax-vet.com/product/tracesure-lamb/

farawaygrass

do you mix the worm dose with the cobalt and dose as one dose?

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119771773#Comment_119771773

Yea, just put the cobalt sulphate in the dose. Measure out the worm dose you're going to use and mix in 15 - 20mg of cobalt sulphate per lamb. I think for the small cost it's no harm to top up the Animax boluses

Sometimes the cobalt sulphate gives problems in the dosing gun, we'd always mix it with the worm dose and leave overnight. next morning then put it through a tea strainer and would often have little bits left in the tea strainer..... we haven't had any problems since we started doing that.

It's difficult to mix it with any of the clear doses but mixes well with white or yellow doses

MayoAreMagic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119771846#Comment_119771846

Id be weary of using this method to be honest. The chemicals arent designed to mix, you could end up with more cobalt settling at the top for example, so although it might look ok, the dosage amount would be wrong for the animals weight. Just go with 2 automatic guns or one manual gun with 2 sources. It doesnt take that long.

Bleating Lamb

I have 7 or 8 bought ewe lambs that have not done nearly same thrive as their comrades,are on ground with fair grass but it’s wet ground with bad November we had.

Bunch all got dose of flukivor and a Cobalt+Vit B12 dose around 3 weeks ago.Those few lambs have bad scaley ears now which disappoints me.

Will have to put them in and give them another Mineral dose.It’s like they gained nothing from the last minerals,which was their 2nd Mineral dose with me.

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119998281#Comment_119998281

A cobalt dose only lasts two weeks so if cobalt deficiency is a problem on your farm you may dose every two weeks or give them a slow release cobalt bolus that'll last a few months. scaley ears is a sign of cobalt alright and I'm sure the frost is destroying their sore ears as well now.

I'd get a FEC done as well, even if you have worm dosed them , half the worm doses aren't working on some farms now.