Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-m9pkr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-13T00:27:03.511Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of molybdenum, iron and sulphur supplementation on growth rate and copper status of lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

C.L. Williams ,
A.M. Mackenzie ,
D.V. Illingworth  and
R.G. Wilkinson
C.L. Williams
Affiliation:
ASRC, School of Agriculture, Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8NB, UK
A.M. Mackenzie
Affiliation:
ASRC, School of Agriculture, Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8NB, UK
D.V. Illingworth
Affiliation:
Centre for Animal Sciences, LIBA, School of Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
R.G. Wilkinson
Affiliation:
ASRC, School of Agriculture, Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8NB, UK
Get access

Extract

For sheep and cattle, primary copper deficiency may occur due to a lack of copper within the feed or soil, whereas secondary copper deficiency may occur in the presence of a combination of high dietary levels of molybdenum (Mo), sulphur (S) and/or iron (Fe). This is due to the anaerobic interactions within the rumen (Phillippo et al., 1987) resulting in thiomolybdate production. Recent work suggests that iron may play a significant role in copper absorption. Mackenzie et al. (1997) proposed that a caeruloplasmin to plasma copper ratio may provide a more accurate biochemical indicator of copper status than other current techniques of assessment. A low ratio may suggest that thiomolybdate is being absorbed into the blood which reduces activity of the copper enzymes. The objective of this experiment was to assess the effect of molybdenum and iron in the presence of sulphur on the copper status and performance of intensively reared lambs, and to predict the accuracy of this ratio when assessing the effects of molybdenum or iron on copper metabolism.

Type
Poster Presentations
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 2001 , 2001 , pp. 140
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Mackenzie, A.M., Illingworth, D.V., Jackson, D.W. and Telfer, S.B. 1997. The use of caeruloplasmin activities and plasma copper concentrations as indicators of copper status in ruminants. In: Trace Elements in Man and Animals –9: Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on Trace Elements in Man and Animals. (Edited by Fischer, P.W.F., L’Abbe, M.R., Cockell, K.A. and Gibson, R.S.). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Canada. pp 137–138.Google Scholar
Phillippo, M., Humphries, W.R. and Garthwaite, P.H. 1987. The effect of dietary molybdenum and iron on copper status and growth in cattle. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 109: 315–320 Google Scholar