Cox Agri has launched a new, long–lasting cobalt bolus into its advanced livestock nutrition Farmer’s Choice range. It will provide a sustained long–term daily release of cobalt that avoids peaks and troughs in supplementation. The bolus is designed to meet thecobalt requirement of sheep in deficient areas, with a dosage rate of one bolus/sheep/year.
Cobalt deficiency is usually dictated by the soil type and underlying geography, although with such long and heavy periods of rainfall as seen in recent years, cobalt deficiency is occurring in areas that have not suffered from this deficiency in the past. Cobalt deficiency can cause loss of appetite, poor growth rates, weight loss, reduced milk production, infertility and increased perinatal disease.
The clinical signs of cobalt deficiency are most commonly observed in weaned lambs at pasture during the late summer and autumn, and can often be identified by signs of lethargy, reduced appetite, poor wool condition and an open fleece, as well as a small body size and poor body condition, despite the availability of adequate nutrition.
Trace element deficiencies, such as cobalt deficiency, can lead to a reduction of commercial value and slower finishing and as such are vital to recognise and treat. To discover if your livestock are suffering from deficiencies tests can be undertaken on the sheep, the forage and the soil. Livestock testing can be in the form of blood testing and liver biopsies through vets. Forage testing and soil sampling can be used to check the current state of your farmland and forage, allowing you to make the necessary corrective changes at grass level and seek expert assistance in rectifying any imbalances.
New manufacturing techniques have been exploited by Cox Agri, developerof the Farmer’s Choice brand, to create the long-lasting cobalt bolus. They are small and easy to administer to sheep and lambs more than eight weeks old.
Cobalt deficiency is usually dictated by the soil type and underlying geography, although with such long and heavy periods of rainfall as seen in recent years, cobalt deficiency is occurring in areas that have not suffered from this deficiency in the past. Cobalt deficiency can cause loss of appetite, poor growth rates, weight loss, reduced milk production, infertility and increased perinatal disease.
The clinical signs of cobalt deficiency are most commonly observed in weaned lambs at pasture during the late summer and autumn, and can often be identified by signs of lethargy, reduced appetite, poor wool condition and an open fleece, as well as a small body size and poor body condition, despite the availability of adequate nutrition.
Trace element deficiencies, such as cobalt deficiency, can lead to a reduction of commercial value and slower finishing and as such are vital to recognise and treat. To discover if your livestock are suffering from deficiencies tests can be undertaken on the sheep, the forage and the soil. Livestock testing can be in the form of blood testing and liver biopsies through vets. Forage testing and soil sampling can be used to check the current state of your farmland and forage, allowing you to make the necessary corrective changes at grass level and seek expert assistance in rectifying any imbalances.
New manufacturing techniques have been exploited by Cox Agri, developerof the Farmer’s Choice brand, to create the long-lasting cobalt bolus. They are small and easy to administer to sheep and lambs more than eight weeks old.
For more information visit: www.coxagri.com.
