Mineral & Vitamins for Lambs
An adequate diet for optimal growth and production must include water, energy (carbohydrates and fats), proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Under field conditions of particular stress, additional nutrients may be needed to meet the requirements of the growing lamb. Often trace element deficiencies in lambs are obvious with tell tail signs e.g. scabby ears, scouring and general ill-thrift but sometimes can be difficult to see clinical signs of the deficiency.
Therefore having a mineral & vitamin plan in place for your farm is essential for optimum performance. Grass and meal fed lambs can be deficient in minerals & vitamins to different extents and farm deficiencies can vary from farm to farm.
Iomlán Animal Science provide on farm advice to sheep farmers with regard to mineral & vitamin supplementation for sheep and lambs. Samples can be taken where necessary and used to determine the requirement of minerals. Lambs undergo many stresses in the first few months of life from tail docking, change in diet, parasite burden to weaning. Supporting them through this can help maintain good growth rates and ultimately help lambs finish quicker.
Options
- Mineral drench (Iomlán Lamb drench)
- Capsule's (Iomlán Sheep capsules)
- Mineral buckets ( Allin1 buckets and Lamb Finisher buckets)
Deficiencies 
- Cobalt has an important biological role as a constituent of vitamin B12 which is manufactured by micro-organisms in the rumen. Cobalt deficiency (pine) occurs where there are low soil cobalt concentrations and can interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12. It is mostly seen in weaned lambs.
- Copper deficiency is common in sheep grazed on soils with low copper levels, high molybdemum levels and high Iron and Sulphur levels in the soil. High levels of these act as antagonist minerals and bind to copper, making it unavailable to sheep.
- Sheep are also pr
one copper toxicity and care should be taken when supplementing with copper in particular continental sheep such as Texel's. Sway back is a clinical sign of copper deficiency occurring in lambs, where ewes received insufficient copper in mid pregnancy.
- Selenium is a cause of white muscle disease and/or stiffness in lambs 2-6 weeks of age. It usually occurs in lambs that are fast growing but can be treated and prevented with drenching etc. Selenium acts with vitamin E to help protect tissue against oxidation and the breakdown of cell membranes. It is also important for immune function.
- Iodine is a component of the important hormone thyroxine which controls the animals’ energy metabolism. It is also essential for foetal growth and development. Iodine deficiency is typically associated with an enlarged thyroid, commonly known as goitre.
- Manganese is an important trace element which is essential for the correct functioning of several enzyme systems within the body.
- Zinc occurs widely throughout the body with the greatest concentration in skin, wool, hair and horn. High concentrations are found in the male sex organs and their secretions. Zinc is involved in many biochemical processes and a deficiency affects a wide range of body functions. Deterioration of hair or wool texture, stiff joints and thick, scaly, cracked skin are accompanied or preceded by poor growth. Reproductive function is also impaired. Zinc is important for hoof growth.
- Vitamins are an essential organic compound needed by the animal in a very small level for bodily functions to support health and performance.
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin H
- Vitamin B1 CCN (Cerebrocortical necrosis) can be a problem The deficiency causes a nervous condition affecting the brain. It is most common in lambs but can be seen in adult sheep and cattle.
- Vitamin B12 Young ruminants: poor appetite and growth, muscular weakness and poor condition.
Sheep Welfare Scheme 2017
The Sheep Welfare scheme for 2017 offers farmers €10/breeding ewe to implement a number of measures to improve the welfare of sheep throughout the country. Minerals & Vitamins have been identified as being important for animal welfare for this scheme and have been included to give to lambs pre-weaning and ewes at mating time. For further information please see below.
Iomlán Lamb
IOMLÁN Lamb Drench is a complex blend of chelated trace elements, vitamin and amino acids, specifically formulated to meet the requirements of growing/finishing lambs. It is formulated to provide lambs with the optimum balance of micro-nutrients to help balance nutritional deficiencies.
Iomlán All in 1 buckets
IOMLÁN All in 1 buckets are formulated for both ewe and lamb. Providing them with essential trace elements and plant extracts that work and help to prevent common on farm disease problems e.g. scald, foot rot, orf etc. They also provide ewes and lambs with essential trace elements & vitamins to help improve growth rates and thrive through correction of deficiencies.
IOMLÁN Sheep Capsules
IOMLÁN Sheep capsules is a complex suspension of chelated trace elements, vitamin and amino acid formulated to meet the specific requirements of the sheep flock, maintaining flock health, fertility and productivity.IOMLÁN Sheep capsules, are administered to breeding ewes and rams pre-breeding, ewes pre-lambing and hogget ewes and rams.