CALCIUM and magnesium play a key role in the survival and health of young lambs according to new research.
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Members of the team at Charles Sturt University in Wagga have conducted scientific experiments as part of a study to investigate supplement outcomes.
The work was funded by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and conducted by the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation.
A team of researchers has focused on the relationship between calcium and magnesium deficiencies in pregnant ewes and lamb survival.
The study, led by CSU Professor Michael Friend tested the calcium and magnesium status of pregnant ewes in commercial flocks.
Professor Friend told The Yarn podcast, that the research, so far, shows calcium and magnesium supplementation was likely to put pregnant ewes into a better metabolic state.
“Initially, we took samples from 15 commercial farms across NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia and found that even if the pastures were adequate in calcium and magnesium, many of the ewes grazing those pastures had subclinical deficiencies,” he said.
“This is a significant concern as we already know that poor metabolic function in pregnant ewes leads to increased likelihood of ewe and lamb mortality.” As part of the research, CSU PhD student Forough Ataollahi conducted a controlled feeding experiment comparing pregnant ewes whose diets had been supplemented with extra calcium and magnesium, to pregnant ewes with no supplementation but fed diets adequate in calcium and magnesium.
The research found supplementing ewes with calcium and magnesium increased the health and productivity of the ewes and the weight gain of their lambs in the first month.
The next phase involves larger trials in paddock-grazed flocks to investigate whether supplementation not only improves the metabolic condition of the ewes, but whether it results in increases in lamb survival and determine if it is economically viable to supplement ewes.