Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T05:53:55.777Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seasonal changes, breed differences and repeatability of plasma copper levels of sheep at pasture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. Wiener  and
A. C. Field
G. Wiener
Affiliation:
A.R.C. Animal Breeding Research Organization, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
A. C. Field
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh EH17 7JH
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Plasma copper levels were determined at intervals of 9 weeks over a period of 1 year on 131 female sheep of a grassland flock starting at the age of 5 months in September. The 107 survivors were re-bled 3 years later. There was a steady decline in copper levels from about 100 µg/100 ml plasma in November to about a third of that level at the beginning of the following June. Thereafter there was a partial recovery in level.

Three breeds, Scottish Blackface, Cheviot and Welsh Mountain and their crosses were represented. There were marked differences in plasma copper level among the breeds with cross-breds having levels as high or higher than the corresponding pure breeds. Breed differences in copper levels were already present at 5 months old. Part of the breed differences in copper levels were attributable to differences among the breeds in the frequency of the HbA and HbB alleles.

Correlations were calculated among the plasma copper levels from successive bleedings for individuals within breeds and subclasses. From the time the sheep reached about 9 months old these correlations ranged from 0·4 to 0·9 including bleedings more than 3 years apart in time.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 83 , Issue 3 , December 1974 , pp. 403 - 408
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alloroft, R., Clegg, F. G. & Uvarov, O. (1959). Prevention of swayback in lambs. Veterinary Record 71, 884–9.Google Scholar
Butler, E. J. (1963). The influence of pregnancy on the blood, plasma and caerulo-plasmin copper levels of sheep. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 9, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Butler, E. J. & Barlow, R. M. (1963). Factors influencing the blood and plasma copper levels of sheep in swayback flocks. Journal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics 73, 107–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hayter, , Susan, , Wiener, G. & Field, A. C. (1973). Variation in the concentration of copper in the blood plasma of Finnish Landrace and Merino sheep and their reciprocal crosses with reference to reproductive performance and age. Animal Production 16, 261–9.Google Scholar
Howell, J. Mc., Edington, N. & Ewbank, R. (1968). Observations on copper and caeruloplasmin levels in the blood of pregnant ewes and lambs. Research in Veterinary Science 9, 160–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suttle, N. F. & Field, A. C. (1968). Effect of intake of copper, molybdenum and sulphate on copper metabolism in sheep. I. Clinical condition and distribution of copper in blood of the pregnant ewe. Journal of Comparative Pathology 78, 351–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suttle, N. F., Field, A. C. & Barlow, R. M. (1970). Experimental copper deficiency in sheep. Journal of Comparative Pathology 80, 151–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wiener, G. & Field, A. C. (1971). The concentration of minerals in the blood of genetically diverse groups of sheep. V. Concentrations of copper, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium in the blood of lambs and ewes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 76, 513–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiener, G., Field, A. C. & Jolly, G. M. (1970). The concentration of minerals in the blood of genetically diverse groups of sheep. IV. Factors influencing seasonal changes in copper concentrations. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 75, 489–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiener, G., Field, A. C. & Wood, , Jean, (1969). The concentration of minerals in the blood of genetically diverse groups of sheep. 1. Copper concentration at different seasons in Blackface, Cheviot, Welsh Mountain and crossbred sheep at pasture. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 72, 93–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiener, G., Hall, J. G. & Hayter, Susan (1973). An association between the concentration of copper in whole blood and haemoglobin type in sheep. Animal Production 17, 1–7.Google Scholar
Wiener, G., Hall, J. G., Hayter, Susan, Field, A. C., & Suttle, N. F. (1974). Relationships between haemoglobin type and copper concentration in whole blood and its components in sheep of different breeds. Animal Production 19, 291–300.Google Scholar
Wiener, G., Hayter, Susan, Field, A. C. & Macleod, N. M. (1974). Copper levels in liver and brain of dead lambs in relation to breed, age at death and cause of death. Journal of Comparative Pathology 84, 27–38.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed