Ozhorse
Well-known member
We have granite soils and the area is known for having major selenium deficiency problems, especially in wet years. It has been exceptionally wet the last two years and the place is a swamp at the moment.
I give the cows long acting selenium injections every year. I assume they work.
Many of the cows have a skin condition, not bad, but I notice it. They have hairless roughened, thickened skin between their back legs at the back of the udder. All of the cattle were slow to shed this year, particularly the heifers, with brown tips on the hair (anugs), but it was also a very cold wet summer.
I have also had foot abscess problems with bulls. They will go lame and one came out in the obvious abscess but the others I give a heavy dose of oxytetracycline then they get better.
Foot abscess is also a problem with the sheep.
Today I found a cow that had slipped her calf close to full term and then retained the placenta. She has a worse case of the raw, hairless, thickened, scratched up skin at the back of the udders than most of the others.
With it being so wet I was wondering if other minerals, like Zinc, might also be deficient that are usually adequate?
Has anyone here seen clinical zinc deficiency with skin conditions in cattle? What does it look like? Others minerals or elements?
Any other ideas?
I was going to use Multimin injections this year but was told by the rep that it might not be a good idea to double up on the selenium dose, while at the same time the dose of selenium in Multimin is not enough to deal with the deficiency here.
It is NOT lice. Does not respond to Ivomectin pour on.
I give the cows long acting selenium injections every year. I assume they work.
Many of the cows have a skin condition, not bad, but I notice it. They have hairless roughened, thickened skin between their back legs at the back of the udder. All of the cattle were slow to shed this year, particularly the heifers, with brown tips on the hair (anugs), but it was also a very cold wet summer.
I have also had foot abscess problems with bulls. They will go lame and one came out in the obvious abscess but the others I give a heavy dose of oxytetracycline then they get better.
Foot abscess is also a problem with the sheep.
Today I found a cow that had slipped her calf close to full term and then retained the placenta. She has a worse case of the raw, hairless, thickened, scratched up skin at the back of the udders than most of the others.
With it being so wet I was wondering if other minerals, like Zinc, might also be deficient that are usually adequate?
Has anyone here seen clinical zinc deficiency with skin conditions in cattle? What does it look like? Others minerals or elements?
Any other ideas?
I was going to use Multimin injections this year but was told by the rep that it might not be a good idea to double up on the selenium dose, while at the same time the dose of selenium in Multimin is not enough to deal with the deficiency here.
It is NOT lice. Does not respond to Ivomectin pour on.