Passionate about animal health

Injection for Sheep

Top-up your sheep for performance

Passionate about animal health2

Trace minerals play an important role in the production cycle of all sheep (ewes, lambs, rams and wethers). They influence growth rates and development, fertility (both ewes and rams), reproduction, lactation and general health of livestock.

Supplementation of trace minerals can significantly impact productivity if deficiencies are present. There are a number of factors that can lead to reduced trace mineral uptake in livestock. These factors include soil composition, pasture mix and seasonal influences. For example:

Sandy soils are usually low in trace minerals.

Clover plants are less efficient in taking up selenium from the soil than grasses are.

Rapid pasture growth in spring can reduce trace mineral concentration in plants.

High rainfall can leach minerals out of the topsoil layer.

Trace mineral requirements in livestock vary throughout the year. Supplementation prior to joining and times of stress such as lambing and weaning can aid in lifting productivity at critical times in the production cycle.

MULTIMIN Injection for Sheep delivers a better strategy of trace mineral supplementation to the sheep industry. It provides three trace minerals – selenium, zinc and manganese – essential for reproduction, growth and immunocompetence (health of the immune system)1,2. It is designed to ‘top-up’, both breeding stock and young growing stock.

The zinc and manganese in MULTIMIN Injection for Sheep are specially formulated with disodium EDTA. EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) is a chelate that binds and carries these trace elements via the blood to the liver improving the availability of the trace minerals.

WHAT IS MULTIMIN?

• Selenium • Zinc • Manganese

ROLE OF TRACE MINERALS IN THE SHEEP

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Selenium supplementation in sheep has a role in:

Growth, immunocompetance3,4 and fertility1,5

Prevention of white muscle disease (WMD) – “stiff lamb disease”5,6

Fighting infectious disease, especially in cold climates7,8

Selenium deficiency causes:Reduced growth (meat and wool)

Poor reproductive performance in older animals. eg Retained foetal membranes 9,10,11

“ Survivability of new born lambs can be increased following selenium supplementation of ewes pre-lambing. ” 9,10,12,13

Zinc supplementation in sheep has a role in:Growth and metabolism1

Wool growth13

Bone and cartilage development14

General health and immunity14

Reproduction1, 15, 16

Sperm production1

Manganese supplementation in sheep has a role in:

Growth1

Reproduction15, 16

Embryo development17

Ovulation15

Bone, cartilage and connective tissue development14

Carbohydrate and lipid metabolism14

Sperm production1

Lactation

LONG TERM SUPPLEMENTATION

Long term supplementation delivers trace minerals over an extended period of time and involves the absorption of a small amount of minerals each day. Delivered orally, long term supplementation products are subject to differing levels of absorption by the gastro-intestinal tract and often do not allow for differing requirements throughout the production cycle. A failure to meet increased requirements at particular times can result in deficiency, which can reduce the productivity of your livestock and expose them to infections.18

Long term supplementation products may aid in the correction of permanent deficiencies or where a specific mineral deficiency in known as a result of soil type or pasture composition.19

Long term supplementation products include:

Trace mineral rumen boluses

Long acting “depot” type injections

Minerals administered via water and feed medication (such as Virbac’s Maxi-MinTM)

Lick blocks and loose licks

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CRITICAL EVENTS IN THE SHEEP PRODUCTION CYCLE

1. Joining

Trace minerals play an important role in the fertility of both ewes and rams. An animal’s failure to reach the optimal trace mineral status could result in failure to conceive which reduces your potential lambing percentage.

Why is topping up prior to joining important?Ewes Trace minerals assist in conception and can affect the fertility of the ewe. They support ovulation, oestrus and the conception process.

Rams

Trace minerals assist in sperm production and affect semen count and quality. Approximately 60 days prior to joining rams will be producing the semen used during joining and they must therefore be in optimal condition at this time.

2. Lambing

Why is topping up pre-lambing important?Lamb survivabilityLamb survival is critical to the profitability of any sheep enterprise. Trace minerals are vital to ewe health, and a healthy ewe has a greater chance of producing a strong, healthy lamb. The presence of essential trace minerals prior to lambing allows for mineral transfer from the ewe to the lamb which aids in increasing the mineral status of the lamb at birth.10

TOPPING-UP

Trace mineral demands vary depending on the stage of the animal’s production cycle.

Topping-up is when animals are strategically supplemented with trace minerals prior to critical events in the production cycle such as joining, lambing and weaning.

Topping-up aims to meet a short term demand and optimise the trace mineral status of the animals prior to a critical or stressful event.

Figure 1.

TOPPING-UP WITH TRACE MINERALS

OPTIMAL LEVEL

TRACE MINERAL LEVELS WHEN SUPPLEMENTED PRIOR TO CRITICAL EVENT

NORMAL TRACE MINERAL USAGE NOT SUPPLEMENTED

CRITICAL EVENT JOININGLAMBINGWEANING

TIME

Figure 1 illustrates the topping-up strategy. Trace mineral demands increase during a critical event and trace minerals can therefore decline to low levels rapidly and remain at low levels for a significant period of time before slowly returning to optimal levels. By implementing a topping-up program (approximately 4 weeks prior to a critical event) trace minerals will not fall to such low levels and will return to optimal levels sooner, assisting in animal recovery.

This theory known as “topping-up” should be included in all sheep production programs to help meet short term trace mineral demand of animals during high periods of stress (joining, lambing and weaning).

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Ewe recovery after lambing

Ewe recovery after lambing is critical to ensuring they reach their target fat score for subsequent joining. Trace minerals aid in the immune system which in turn limits post lambing problems such as retained afterbirths, mastitis, metritis (uterine infection), and lameness which can have a negative effect on conception rates.

3. Weaning

Why is topping up at weaning important?

Weaning is a stressful time for young lambs. They are removed from their mothers and left to look after themselves, and the feed may not be sufficient to supply their nutritional requirements. Increasing their trace mineral status at this time can assist in their ability to convert feed into energy and thus continue to grow.

Growth rates in young lambs

Trace minerals are essential for growth and bone development and mineralization in young stock. A deficiency in trace minerals can lead to slowed growth resulting in a longer tail in your lambs. Topping-up the lamb’s trace mineral status at weaning can help prevent any slowed growth as a result of deficiencies of trace minerals.

Increased immunity - immunocompetence

Young stock are most susceptible to infection with a wide range of disease causing organisms. Trace minerals aid in the young lamb’s ability to maintain good health and help their immune system fight infections and disease.

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TRACE MINERALS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE PRODUCTION CYCLE

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Product information

Indications

Chelated Trace Mineral Injection for sheep and beef and dairy cattle deficient in and/or responsive to manganese, zinc and/or selenium supplementation.

Active Constituents

• Zinc – 40 g/L as Disodium Zinc EDTA• Manganese – 10 g/L Manganese as Disodium

Manganese EDTA• Selenium – 5 g/L Selenium as Sodium Selenite

Dose RateUse in sheep by subcutaneous injection

Dose rate: 0.2 mL/10 kg (1 mL/50 kg)

Liveweight

(kg) Dose (mL)20-25 0.526-30 0.631-40 0.841-50 1.051-60 1.261-70 1.470+ 0.2 mL/10 kg

Withholding periods

Meat – nilMilk – nilESI – nil

PRODUCT INFORMATION Injection techniqueInject subcutaneously high on the neck. Inject in a downward motion to avoid loss of product at the injection site.

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For further information:Virbac Customer Support – 1800 009 847MULTIMIN Technical Support – Angela Christie 0418 964 431

References1. Underwood, E.J.; Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition. 4th Ed., Elsevier, 1977.2. Allen, W.M. and Mallinson, C.B.; Parental methods of supplementation with copper and selenium. The Veterinary Record, 1984, 114, 451-454.3. Swecker, W.S.; Selenium and immune function in cattle. Compend. Cont. Ed. Pract. Vet. 10:S248-S253, Veterinary Learning Systems, 1997.4. Suttle, N.F. and Jones, D.G.; Recent Developments in Trace Element Metabolism and Function: Trace Elements, Disease Resistance and Immune Responsiveness in Ruminants. J. of Nutr., 119: 1055-1061, 1989.5. Ammerman, C.B. and Miller, S.M.; Selenium in Ruminant Nutrition: A Review. Journal of Dairy Science. 1975, 58(10), 1561-1577.6. Radostits, D.M.; Gay, C.C.; Blood, D.C. and Hinchcliff, K.W.; A Textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Goats and Horses. Veterinary Medicine 9th Edition, 2000.7. Hansen, D.; Hathaway, R. and Oldfield, J.E.; White muscle and other selenium-responsive diseases of livestock. Pacific Northwest Extension Publications, 157, 1993.8. Pherson, B.O.; Diseases and diffuse disorders related to selenium deficiencies in ruminants. Norwegian J. Agric. Sci., 1993, 11, 79–93.9. Kojouri, G.A. and Shirazi, A.; Serum concentrations of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mo and Co in newborn lambs following systemic administration of Vitamin E and selenium to pregnant ewes. Small Ruminant Research. 2006, 70, 136-139.10. Rodney, V.M.; Thomas, V.M.; Hatfield, P.G.; Evans, T. and Davis, K.C.; Effects of dietary vitamin E supplementation during late pregnancy on lamb mortality and ewe productivity. J. American Veterinary Medical Assoc. 1998, 997-2000.11. Godwin, K.O.; Kuchel, B.E. and Buckley, R.A.; The effect of selenium on infertility in ewes grazing improved pastures. Aust. J Exp. Agr. Anim. Husb. 1970, 10, 672-678.12. Langlands, J.P.; Donald, G.E.; Bowles, J.E. and Smith, A.J.; Subclinical selenium insufficiency. The response in reproductive performance of grazing ewes supplemented with selenium. Aust. J. Experimental Agriculture. 1991, 31, 33-35.13. White, C ,L.; Martin, G,B.; Hynd, P, I.; Chapman, R, E.; The effect of zinc deficiency on wool growth and skin and wool follicle histology on male merino lambs. British Journal of Nutrition. 1994, 71, 425-435.14. McDonald, P.; Edwards, R,A.; Greenhalgh, J, F, D.; Morgan, C, A.; Animal Nutrition. 6th Ed., Pearsons, 2002.15. Egan, A,R.; Reproductive responses to supplemental zinc and manganese in grazing Dorset Horn ewes. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry. 12(55) 131-135.16. Hidiroglou, M.; Trace element deficiencies and fertility in ruminants: a review. Journal of Dairy Science. 1979, 62(8), 195-206.17. Hidiroglou, M.; Knipfel, J, E.; Maternal-foetal relationships of copper, manganese, and sulfur in ruminants. A review. Journal of Dairy Science. 1981, 64(8), 1637-47.18. Kincaid, R.L.; Assessment of trace mineral status of ruminants: A review. Proceedings of the American Society of Animal Science. 1999, 77, 1-10.19. Lugton, I.W.; Review of possible links between the clinical expression of paratuberculosis and deficiency of macro and micronutrients. Australian Veterinary Journal. 2004, 82, 490-496.

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Injection for Sheep

Easy subcutaneous injection

Increases trace mineral status in sheep

Balanced ratio of three essential trace minerals

Bioavailable formulation

MULTIMIN Copper-Free Injection for Sheep and Cattle.APVMA No: 61724®MULTIMIN is a registerd trademark of Warburton Technologies Ltd.™Maxi-Min is a trademark of Virbac (Australia) Pty Ltd.VB

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Customer Support Tel: 1800 009 847 www.virbac.com.au

Selenium - Zinc - Manganese

Trace mineral supplementation can help maximise growth and development, reproduction and general health of livestock.