ASSESSMENT OF MINERAL STATUS OF TWICE-YEARLY LAMBING YANKASA EWES 1. APRAISAL OF MINERAL STATUS IN THE DIET AND BLOOD SERUM

An appraisal of mineral status of twice-yearly lambing Yankasa ewes was carried out in order to trace any evidence of mineral deficiency in the diet and to obtain baseline information of clinical, physiological and nutritional interest. A total of thirty pregnant and lactation ewes, weighing between 27 - 37kg was sampled for mineral profile in blood serum. The basal and supplemental diets were also analysed for chemical and mineral composition. Average daily dry matter intakes ranged from 0.92 to 1.5kg per head per day. Higher concentration of magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc were obtained in the serum of both pregnant and lactating ewes than values obtained for temperate breeds. Average calcium concentrations (mg/100ml) in the blood serum during gestation and lactation were 10.0 ± 1.7 and 6.1 æ 1.3respectively. The values were higher during gestation than lactation. The differences were significant (P 0.05). On the other hand, the mean concentration (mg/100ml) was 12.6 æ 2.2 during gestation and increased to 17.4 æ 3.2 during lactation. The differences were also significant. (P < 0.01). The concentrations of calcium and phosphorus (mg/100ml) were observed to be influenced by parturition.