Effect of increasing Fe intake on the Fe and Cu content of tissues in grazing sheep

N.D. Grace, J. Lee

DSIR Grasslands, Palmerston North

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1990, 50: 265-268

Twelve Romney wether lambs, average weight 28kg, were randomly divided into two groups, namely an untreated control and an Fe treated group. All animals were grazed together on a ryegrass/white clover pasture for 12 weeks. The Fe intake of the control animals was estimated to be 247 mg/day while that for the treated animals was 827 mg/day with the extra Fe (FeSO4.7H2O) given orally in a gelatin capsule.

Increasing the Fe intake had no effect on DM intake or growth rates but significantly (P<0.05) increased the Fe content of the lungs, spleen and digestive tract. No other changes in Fe concentrations were found in the other soft tissues or bone.

There was a marked decrease [50%] in the Cu content of the liver (a major storage organ for Cu) when the Fe treated lambs were compared with the control animals. The fact that a moderate increase in the intake of Fe can markedly reduce the Cu status of lambs may be a more important finding than has been previously realised.

Keywords: NZSAPAB; Sheep, Fe, Cu, bone, soft tissues, liver, Cu status

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Last Updated 25-01-1997