Growvite Multi Birth 500ml

What should I look for in a mineral supplement?

Colour is not an issue. Some companies use red minerals such as iron oxide to give their product colour, this however gives no value to the animal and is done purely as a sales and marketing tactic.

Supplements with high salt content (sodium chloride) should be avoided. In many cases the presence of high salt content is used to reduce production costs on lower quality products.

Another cost cutting trick used by some companies is to produce animal supplements with high calcium percentage.

Look carefully at the content of the supplement you are choosing. If you are not sure about something don't be afraid to ask. For example some companies put lots of unnecessary "bells and whistles" in their products. 

Mineral sources should be from sulphates as apposed to oxides. Sulphates are more easily absorbed by the animal and maximise the efficiency of the supplement.

Content per 100ml

Drench correctly

Sheep Oral Drench
The drenching technique is a vital part of ensuring that the wormer does its job effectively.
Make sure that the sheep are properly restrained and cannot leap around when they are being drenched so they swallow the whole amount.
Sheep can also suffer serious injury, or even death, if they are unrestrained and the gun penetrates the tissues at the back of the mouth.
Place a hand under the head and tilt slightly to the side.
Slot the nozzle in the gap between molar and incisor teeth and then over the back of the tongue.
If the operative just puts the wormer into the mouth, it will bypass the rumen as it escapes down the oesophageal groove and will be less effective.
This is particularly important for white (BZ) drenches.

Dosing Weight – do not guess Underestimating the weight of sheep is a common cause of underdosing.
Select and weigh the biggest sheep in the group to determine the correct dose.
If there is a wide range of weights, consider splitting the group, then weigh the heaviest in each section.
Do not forget to check that the weigh crate is accurate before starting!

Calibrate and maintain the drench gun
Always check the gun is delivering the right amount before you drench.
Remove the plunger from a 10 ml syringe, put a thumb over the end and squirt the dose into it, making sure there are no air bubbles left.
Adjust the gun until the dose delivered is correct.
Drenching guns should also be well maintained and replaced regularly.
Clean with warm soapy water after use and check springs and tubes to make sure there are no kinks that will form air bubbles.

Withholding food
Research has shown that the efficacy of the white (BZ) and clear (AV) drenches can be improved by withholding food for 12–24 hours before treatment.
It is not advised to deprive heavily pregnant ewes of food, so if you treat this class of stock with anthelmintics, you may wish to use yellow drenches (LV) because their efficacy is less dependent on rumen fill.

Storage
Wormers should be stored securely, away from direct sunlight at 4–25°C.
Check the use-by date and, once open, use within the time shown on the packaging.
Shake white (BZ) products well before use.