The question of Cu nutrition in particular has really got me thinking. Over
a few years it seemed I was always hearing about Cu, my dad wore a copper
bracelet so that he might absorb Cu through his skin, a beef speaker talked
about how Cu strengthened the immune system in beef and increased
resisitance to parasites. I was feeding a mixture of a sheep mineral mix
and kelp to my sheep. When lambs went to slaughter I had some liver samples
analysed, and to my surprise, the Se was fine (which we always are so
concerned about) but the Cu was borderline deficient.
Now we have moved to a new ecosystem and new livestock (beef and sheep).
Our pastures have been neglected, and hayed (possibly with few inputs -
although I do see clovers and some alfalfa) for years. I've been reading
Pat Coleby, who says that if Cu is sufficient then animals will resist
internal parasites much better. I can believe it may be true. If there is
research on this I'd like to hear of it. In my own family we are finding
that our mineral nutrition may have been deficient and out of balance for
years (decades). I feel like everywhere I turn, in human nutrition and
livestock nutrition I am hearing the same mantra - get the minerals right.
I am thinking of trying a higher Cu mineral mix (different mixes for the
beef and the sheep). I can have liver samples analysed when lambs, and
steers, go to market in 6 months or so. But I am nervous.
I will have soils analyses done for this place. But I don't have that
information yet.
And then, I hear that hair sheep tolerate much higher Cu than wool sheep,
and I really wonder what is going on with sheep. We have wool sheep bred to
a hair ram. (Then I think maybe we need to select for sheep that can
tolerate a reasonable level of Cu...)
I am enjoying the discussion here, and appreciate the shared experiences.
thanks, Ann
Vermont
