Trace Elements - Soil testing etc

[Saffy]

Do other people have their soil tested? Ours has just been done for the first time in many years and the results were very different to what we had expected. We had thought that the fields might need lime but the ph was normal, as was potassium, calcium and magnesium. However sodium, zinc, copper and iodine are all low or very low.

The sheep are very slow going to the ram and they were last year and I know there can be fertility problems from low iodine this hasn't affected our dexters but they do get supplementary suckler cow rolls which would help them with their trace elements to some extent.

We are now going to treat our fields with a soil conditioner which should put things right.

I thought I would mention it as a few people have mentioned to me and its been brought up on this site that they are having trouble getting cows in calf to AI. Well maybe if the iodine levels in their soil is very low that could be part of the problem? Perhaps it would be worth getting it tested. I believe low iodine causes difficulty concieving and difficulty holding, I have a feeling low zinc has some affect on fertility as well.

Also selenium is something that the soil in our area, is usually short of and we used to give our dairy herd a supplement, again I think that lack of selenium can affect fertility.

So it occured to me that low trace elements could possibly be a factor where a dexter herd are not getting in calf to AI.

Stephanie



Edited By Saffy on 1289253776

[Minnie]

Hi Stephanie,

Although in Aus, we test our soil and at our last property were recommended to put 20 tonne of gypsum per hectare as it was so gypsum deficient (over a number of years it needed to be done). It was the reason we couldn't grow potatoes and had blossum end rot on our tomatoes as well as no spring growth.

Just sent off the soil samples for our new place, it's something well worth doing that's for certain I believe.

Vicki

[Mark Bowles]

It is a fact that every soil has some kind of defficieny. It is just a matter of finding out what your specific problems are. Soil sampling is easy and costs about £18 per sample (ie per field), its very easy and if you are getting the Single farm payment then it is a requirement.
We had selenium problems a number of years ago that led to calving problems, we tested the soil, sorted the problems by using licks and suppliments and touch wood, our problems are over.
Don't get complacement otherwise the problems will return.

[Broomcroft]

We had large healthy lambs start dying this year. I had two post-mortemed which threw up nothing, mind you one was a bit too cooked by the sun. 10 died in all, always when about 43 kg's and about to go to market. So I had a blood test done on those alive and everything was fine except that magnesium was on the low side of OK. So I changed over from Wynnstay licks to Rumenco, and the deaths stopped immediately. I think that a lot of the animals, cattle and sheep, just did not like the old licks as they are still out there now months later, whereas in that time they have consumed a tonne of Rumenco High Mag licks.

I was told that blood test are the only way to find out as your soil can be fine, but the plants don't take up the minerals, and even if the plant does take them up, the animal might not extract it from the plant.



Edited By Broomcroft on 1289290358