OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIVER-CU-CONCENTRATIO N IN SHEEP IN NORTHWEST GERMANY

Samples of liver tissue from sheep (n = 231), which were send to the I nstitute on Animal Nutrition, School of Veterinary Sciences Hannover, were analyzed for copper; the results were valuated in reference to an imal's age and race. In tissue of young sheep (up to 4 weeks) the copp er concentration was about 250 (56-770) mg/kg dry matter (DM); values <120 as well as >300 mg/kg DM were observed in few cases only. From 19 8 datas of adult sheep 28 % suggested a copper deficiency (<50 mg/kg D M), while 21 % were the result (>500 mg/kg DM) of a critically elevate d copper intake. Sheep of the typical heath race presented the main pa rt of those affected by copper deficiency; the races merino and texel dominated in the group with elevated copper concentrations in liver ti ssue.