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. 2022 Jan 7;12(2):140.
doi: 10.3390/ani12020140.

Effect of Long-Acting Selenium Preparation on Health and Productivity of Sheep

Justyna Błażejak-Grabowska  1 , Stanisław Milewski  2 , Katarzyna Ząbek  2 , Przemysław Sobiech  3 , Roman Wójcik  4 , Katarzyna Żarczyńska  3 , Jan Miciński  2
Affiliations

Effect of Long-Acting Selenium Preparation on Health and Productivity of Sheep

Justyna Błażejak-Grabowska et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of long-acting selenium (Se) preparation in sheep. The experimental material comprised Skudda ewes and their lambs. The animals were divided into two equal groups: C-control, and E-experimental. Between days 70 and 80 of pregnancy, group E ewes were injected with Se preparation (Barium Selenate Injection, BVP Animal Care, Ireland) at f 1 mL/50 kg body weight. Hematological, biochemical and immunological blood parameters as well as Se levels were analyzed in ewes. The growth rate of lambs, the dimensions of the musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD) cross-section, and fat thickness over the loin-eye area were also determined. It was found that barium selenate stimulated the mechanisms of humoral and cellular immunity. The injection was an effective form of Se supply, which was confirmed by its increased concentration in the blood serum of lactating ewes. The offspring of the experimental ewes were characterized by a faster growth rate, and they achieved significantly higher body weight (p ≤ 0.05) at 100 days of age. The lambs also had significantly higher parameters of MLD (p ≤ 0.05) at similar carcass fat content.

Keywords: barium selenate; blood indices; ewes; lambs; meat performance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Serum selenium concentration in dams (μg/L). a,b—p ≤ 0.05; A,B—p ≤ 0.01; **—p ≤ 0.01; *—p ≤ 0.05—significant difference relative to day 0 (3 months pregnant).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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