COBALT DEFICIENCY
EWES
Dose: Give 5mL TWO weeks PRIOR to mating.
Vitamin B12 levels will be maintained at adequate
concentrations for 180 days and in some cases the
effect may last for 200-240 days. Adequate Vitamin
B12 levels will be maintained in the offspring until
one month of age.
LAMBS
Dose: This can be tailored to suit farming
operation and administered to lambs from 3 weeks
of age at docking, weaning or as appropriate.
0.5mL: Following injection of lambs with 0.5mL,
Vitamin B12 levels will be maintained at adequate
concentrations for up to 3-4 months.
1mL: Following injection of lambs with 1mL,
Vitamin B12 levels will be maintained at adequate
concentrations for 180 days and the effect may be
for 200 to 240 days.
EWES
Dose: Give 5mL TWO weeks PRIOR to mating.
Adequate Vitamin B12 levels will be maintained
for 180 days and in some cases the effect may
last for 200-240 days. Adequate blood selenium
concentrations will be maintained for up to 300
days (10 months). Adequate Vitamin B12 levels will
be maintained in the offspring until one month of
age and from birth to weaning for Selenium.
LAMBS
Dose: This can be tailored to suit farming
operation and administered to lambs from 3 weeks
of age at docking, weaning or as appropriate.
0.5mL: Following injection of lambs with 0.5mL,
Vitamin B12 and Selenium levels will be maintained
at adequate concentrations for up to 3-4 months.
1mL: Following injection of lambs with 1mL,
Vitamin B12 and Selenium levels will be maintained
at adequate concentrations for 180 days and the
effect may be for 200 to 240 days.
Cobalt deficiency is found in certain areas of NZ (approx. 13% of all
pastureland) affecting approximately 6 million sheep and 500,000
cattle.
Dietary cobalt is converted by rumen micro-organisms into Vitamin
B12. Vitamin B12 is incorporated into enzymes involved in energy and
protein metabolism. These enzymes are essential for animal growth
and health. Young, growing lambs are the most susceptible to cobalt
deficiency as they do not have a fully functional rumen so are entirely
reliant on the Vitamin B12 stored in the liver during fetal development
and milk vitamin B12.
Deficiency signs: watery eye discharge, reduced DM intake, enhanced
susceptibility to infection, increased neonatal mortality, poor growth
rates, decreased wool and milk production.
SELENIUM DEFICIENCY
Selenium deficiency is widespread in NZ and affects approximately
10 million sheep and 1 million cattle. Selenium plays an important
role in the immune system, and acts as an anti-oxidant in tandem
with vitamin E. Low Selenium status will respond to supplementation,
however it is important to know the Selenium status of the animals
prior to supplementation as Selenium can be toxic at high levels.
by AgResearch to support significant weight gain as opposed
to short-acting water soluble B12.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
New Zealand’s leading authority on trace elements, Dr Neville
Grace from AgResearch, has found an answer to the question that
a lot of you want to know:
“I have tested the Vitamin B12 status of my lambs: What do
these numbers mean and can you put a $ figure to it?”
Dr Grace found that a lamb with a Serum B12 of 250pmol/L or a
Liver B12 of 200nmol/kg that is targeted to grow to 16kg CWT
over 120 days will fail to reach this target weight by 3.6kg LWT, or
30g/day.
Based on an average schedule price of $6.00kg/CWT, this lamb
will fall approximately 1.7kg/CWT short of the target weight
equating to a loss of revenue of just over $10/head (1.7kg x
$6.00/kg CWT). If you have 2,000 lambs, these low vitamin B12
levels could cost you up to $20,000!
Liver B12
nmol/kg
Serum B12
pmol/L
LWT loss
g/day
CWT*
loss kg
$5.00
$6.00
Deficiency signs: ill thrift, diarrhoea, low milk production, low
conception rates and white muscle disease.
125
150
110
6.1
$30.50
$36.60
THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
200
250
30
1.7
$8.50
$10.20
250
300
20
1.1
$5.50
$6.60
What are the advantages of using SMARTShot® over
short-acting water-soluble B12 injections?
AgResearch data shows that short-acting water-soluble B12
has to be given at least every 4 weeks to maintain levels
above adequate. Every day below adequate results in growth
rates being compromised which means less profit for your
farming operation.
SMARTShot® costs less than 1 cent a day - In lambs, a single
0.5mL injection of SMARTShot® is approx. $0.54c - $0.57c*
which will provide up to 3-4 months above adequate levels
for Vitamin B12 and Selenium.
Short-acting water-soluble B12 is approx. $0.40c* for 4
injections to provide up to 4 months above adequate vitamin
B12 levels. PLUS the cost of labour for yarding PLUS treating
and the cost of deaths and/or losses especially if the summer
is dusty.
You are also giving very young animals fewer injections.
The convenience of a single, medium or long-acting
SMARTShot® injection with New Zealand trial work carried out
*based on 120 days from birth to slaughter
The most profitable lamb is one sold straight off the ewe – animal
health costs are lower and the yield is higher. These facts
combined with the current higher lamb schedule make treatment
with SMARTShot® B12 Prime Lamb or SMARTShot® B12 Plus Se
financially justified for those farms with a marginal or deficient
status.
Think about this: A $0.65c* injection of SMARTShot® B12
Prime Lamb or SMARTShot® B12 Plus Se in Cobalt deficient
lambs could earn you at worst $5/head, and at best $40/
head.
*indicative retail price only, excl. GST
Check out the A SHOT AND A SCRATCH AT
DOCKING/TAILING video at youtube.com/virbacnz
www.virbac.co.nz
ACVM Nos: A009402, A009984.
V.2 / July 2016.
You only
need
ONE SHOT
to help
maximise
their
potential.
WHY SHOULD I USE
SMARTSHOT® IN MY
LAMBS OR EWES?
KEY BENEFITS
100% NZ - made in New Zealand.
Developed and trialled in New
Zealand by AgResearch and Virbac
New Zealand Ltd.
Trials by AgResearch have
shown that lambs treated with
SMARTShot® B12 Prime Lamb or
SMARTShot® B12 plus Se had far
greater liveweight gains than
untreated deficient controls.
Even on farms with only marginal
deficiency, SMARTShot® B12 Prime
Lamb or SMARTShot® B12 plus Se
significantly improved growth rates.
Costs less than 1 cent a day in
lambs.
SMARTShot® B12 Prime Lamb or
SMARTShot® B12 plus Se is now
more cost effective than ever with
a fantastic return on investment;
Lambs: less than 0.5kg liveweight
gain will repay your investment.
One convenient and simple injection
in lambs from 3 weeks of age.
Medium AND Long-Acting. 0.5mL
will last up to 3-4 months, or up to
8 months with a 1mL dose given to
lambs at docking/tailing.
Less injections, less chance of viral
pneumonia, and less stress on your
lambs.
PRODUCT
SMARTShot® is an innovative and
easy medium and long-acting
Vitamin B12 and Selenium injection
for lambs and ewes with flexible
treatment options for lambs.
SMARTShot is commonly used in
lambs at docking/tailing and in ewe
replacements to boost and maintain
adequate vitamin B12 and/or
selenium levels in these young,
growing stock.
®
SMARTShot® has been developed in
New Zealand by Virbac New Zealand
Ltd and AgResearch using worldfirst microencapsulation technology:
The vitamin B12 is put inside
different sized microspheres ranging
from small to large,
(microencapsulation) with the
smaller microspheres breaking
down in body fluids faster than the
larger microspheres thus giving the
extended efficacy and flexibility.
SMARTShot® B12 plus Se also
contains selenium as barium
selenate. Barium selenate has
extremely low solubility and it is
this feature which allows
SMARTShot® B12 plus Se to provide
long-term selenium
supplementation for at least 300
days. When injected, the barium
selenate forms a depot beneath the
skin which slowly releases selenium
over time.
NEW ZEALAND
TRIAL WORK
SUPERIOR LIVEWEIGHT GAIN VITAMIN B12
New Zealand Trials carried out by AgResearch
demonstrate greater liveweight gains than
untreated controls. Also, lambs treated at docking
had improved growth rates of more than 100grams
per day and were almost 4kg (liveweight) heavier
at weaning than untreated controls - demonstrating
the advantage of treating with SMARTShot® earlier.
HOW LONG DOES THE B12
LAST?
HOW LONG DOES THE B12
LAST?
0.5mL of SMARTShot® will ensure Serum B12 will be
maintained at adequate concentrations for up to
3-4 months and 1mL SMARTShot® for 180 days.
A trial carried out by AgResearch at Flock House
demonstrated a superior 9% liveweight gain over
the untreated control group.