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Effect of Feeding Sheep Selenium Fortified Trace Mineralized Salt: Effect of Tocopherol¹

Univerity of Wisconsin^,3, Madison

Abstract

In two experiments, ewes were given selenized salt and/or tocopherol to determine their effectiveness in preventing nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD) in the lamb. In experiment I, 22 ewes were fed low-selenium dystrophogenic grass silage and corn. One lot received trace-mineralized salt containing 132 p.p.m. selenium, added as Na₂SeO₄, ad libitum from 4 wk. before lambing until 8 wk. after lambing; the other lot was unsupplemented. In experiment II, 80 ewes on a similar ration were supplemented with tocopherol and selenium, in a 2x4 factorial design, from 4 wk. before breeding until 8 wk. after lambing. Tocopherol was given at 0.0 and 1.0 gm. per wk. Trace-mineralized salt containing 0, 26, 132 and 264 p.p.m. selenium was fed ad libitum. Lambs had access to the same salt mixtures as their dams until sacrificed at 17 wk. In experiment I, lambs from unsupplemented ewes showed a high titer of serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and they developed NMD; three of 13 animals died from NMD. In experiment I, selenium in the salt reduced the level of serum LDH, prevented clinical NMD and significantly (P<0.05) improved lamb weight gains. In experiment II, lambs from unsupplemented ewes did not develop clinical NMD, but the serum LDH was elevated; selenium in the salt decreased lamb serum LDH (P<0.01), whereas tocopherol had no effect. Supplementing the ewe with tocopherol increased tocopherol concentration in ewe plasma, but not in lamb plasma. Selenium supplementation increased the selenium concentration in ewe blood, lamb blood and ewe milk 8 wk. postpartum.

Feeding selenized salt did not result in excessive accumulation of selenium in lamb tissues; in many cases selenium levels in the tissues of lambs receiving the selenium supplements were as low or lower than the selenium levels in tissues of lambs consuming a variety of practical rations.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station. Supported in part by funds from the Se-Te Development Committee.

² The authors gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of the following persons who supplied tissue samples used in the present studies: J. Forrest, Animal Science Dept., Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul; H. F. Eppson, Biochemistry Dept., Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie; D. Garrigan, Animal Science Dept., Univ. of Illinois, Urbana; J. L. McBee, Dept. of Animal Industry and Veterinary Science, West Virginia Univ., Morgantown; R. J. Emerick, Biochemistry Dept., South Dakota State Univ., Brookings; D. A. Cramer, Dept. Animal Science, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins; and K. Paulson, Philip, South Dakota.

³ Biochemistry and Animal Science Departments.