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Plasma copper and cobalt metabolism of guanacos (Lama guanicoe) and sheep grazing the same upland pasture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2021

D.V. Illingworth
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, School of Biology, University of Leeds , LS2 9JT, UK
D.W. Jackson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, School of Biology, University of Leeds , LS2 9JT, UK
M.D. Fraser
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, UK
S.B. Telfer
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, School of Biology, University of Leeds , LS2 9JT, UK
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Extract

Previous work has suggested that assessing the trace element status of South American camelids (llamas) using cattle or sheep plasma values as reference norms could lead to incorrect diagnoses of sufficiency /deficiency (Illingworth et al.,1997). However there are no previous accounts of a direct comparison of the trace mineral status between a species of camelid and a conventional ruminant. This study directly compares the blood copper and cobalt status of guanacos and sheep grazing the same typical upland Agrostis / Festuca spp. dominated pasture.

Blood samples were obtained in May 1996 from the tail vessels of 10 mature, captive bred guanaco castrates and 9 mature barren ewes (Merino x Welsh Mountain) which had grazed the same upland pasture for 6 weeks with ad libitum access to trace mineral blocks (Wright Block - Standard) which both species were observed to consume.

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Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1998

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References

Illingworth, D.V., Jackson, D.W., Mackenzie, A.M., and Telfer, S.B. (1997) A preliminary survey of the trace element status of Llamas (Lama glama) in the UK Proceedings of the British Society for Animal Science, Winter Meeting p15 Google Scholar
Phillippo, M., Humphries, W.R. and Garthwaite, P.H. (1987). The effect of dietary molybdenum and iron on copper status and growth in cattle. The Journal of Agricultural Science 109: 315320 10.1017/S0021859600080746CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moeini, M.M. (1997). The effect of interactions between copper, molybdenum, iron and sulphur on metabolism and fertility in ruminant animals. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Leeds.Google Scholar
Fraser, M.D. and Moorby, J.M. Plasma biochemical values in the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), and a comparison with sheep. In press, Animal Science.Google Scholar