Newly Grown Wool Mineral Content Response to Dietary Supplementation in Sheep
1
Department of Feed and Food Biotechnology, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi út 138., H4032 Debrecen, Hungary
2
Doctoral School of Animal Science, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi út 138., H4032 Debrecen, Hungary
3
Institute of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi út 138., H4032 Debrecen, Hungary
4
Department of Animal Husbandry, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi út 138., H4032 Debrecen, Hungary
5
Institutes for Agricultural Research and Educational Farm, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi út 138., H4032 Debrecen, Hungary
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2020, 10(8), 1390; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10081390
Received: 2 July 2020
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Revised: 3 August 2020
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Accepted: 7 August 2020
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Published: 11 August 2020
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Nutrition)
Simple Summary
The evaluation of the mineral status of grazing and group-housed animals is important, as the actual mineral intake is not fixed. The determination of the wool mineral content to assess the animals’ mineral status has a long history, but the results are controversial. We hypothesized that one of the contributing factors is that the sampling material in previous studies was collected from long fleece, a fact that could mask the response to recent differences in mineral intake. Therefore, in our trial, we applied different level of premix dietary inclusion (and as a result, mineral supplementation), and the wool samples were collected 28 days later from a 5 × 5 cm area that was shorn completely at the beginning of the trial (newly grown wool). In general, wool mineral content did not correspond to the increased intake, while it was sensitive enough to detect high Zn and low Se intake.
Determination of wool mineral content to assess the animal’ mineral status has been extensively used, but the results are controversial. One of the possible contributing factors is that the sampling material in previous studies was collected from a long staple, a fact that could mask the response to recent differences in mineral intake. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to test the sensitiveness of newly grown wool to different dietary mineral intake. Twenty Tsigai ewes were allocated into five dietary treatments with similar hay and concentrate intake but different premix inclusion rates in the concentrate (3, 4, 5, 6, and 7%). Wool was sampled on the left side from a 5 × 5 cm area using bent scissors at the beginning of the trial and from the very same area 28 days later. Samples after cleaning and mineralization were analyzed with ICP-OES (Perkin-Elmer, Optima 3300 DV) for calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, selenium, zinc, copper, and sulfur content. Long fleeces had significantly lower Ca and Se content compared to the newly grown wool samples of the group at the premix manufacturer’s suggested level of supplementation (5%). Macrominerals in fresh wool did not respond to increased dietary supplementation. Se and Zn content of wool had a strong relationship with the daily intake (R2 = 0.95 and R2 = 0.97, respectively.) In conclusion, the mineral content of long fleeces can be different compared to recently developed wool fiber. This indicates that, in some cases, analyzing long staples for mineral status can be misleading. Our results showed that wool could be a sensitive indicator of low selenium and high zinc intake. Mineral interactions can significantly affect the actual availability of trace minerals; therefore, a more careful design of premixes is needed. The described method seems to be applicable in livestock farming, but the mineral interactions that may alter the results need to be further explored.
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Keywords:
sheep; wool; mineral content
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MDPI and ACS Style
Szigeti, E.; Kátai, J.; Komlósi, I.; Oláh, J.; Szabó, C. Newly Grown Wool Mineral Content Response to Dietary Supplementation in Sheep. Animals 2020, 10, 1390. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10081390
AMA Style
Szigeti E, Kátai J, Komlósi I, Oláh J, Szabó C. Newly Grown Wool Mineral Content Response to Dietary Supplementation in Sheep. Animals. 2020; 10(8):1390. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10081390
Chicago/Turabian StyleSzigeti, Erika, János Kátai, István Komlósi, János Oláh, and Csaba Szabó. 2020. "Newly Grown Wool Mineral Content Response to Dietary Supplementation in Sheep" Animals 10, no. 8: 1390. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10081390
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