Cobalt and copper in the nutrition of sheep (2)

Abstract

SUMMARYThe effects of cobalt deficiency and of varying degrees of copper deficiency in young sheep were investigated.Five of six evenly matched groups of hoggets aged about 8 months when transferred to the deficient pastures were supplemented with the equivalent of 1 mg. Co/day, 10 mg. Cu/day, 1 mg Co + 1 mg. Cu/day, 1 mg. Co + 5 mg. Cu/day, 1 mg. Co + 10 mg. Cu/day, respectively, administered thrice weekly as a drench; the sixth group was untreated.All individuals that received no cobalt developed typical symptoms of cobalt deficiency and most of them died within a year. After 11 months the remaining cases were removed to the laboratory. They were then in the advanced stages of the terminal cachexia.