Influence of season and breed on serum mineral levels in sheep

The main objective of this study was to assess the concentration of various minerals (Ca, P, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe) in the blood of sheep, followed by biochemical analysis in order to reveal possible associations of season and breed. The study was conducted by sampling four herds: Suffolk (n=20), Merino (n=20), Lithuanian blackhead (n=20) and Charolaise (n=7). The first blood collection was conducted in April and the last one was performed in February. The highest level of Ca was estimated in Suffolk ewes, lowest (12.61%) in Merino breed; the highest Mg content was found in Lithuanian blackhead breed, lowest (5.26%) in Charolaise; highest P content was determined in Merino, lowest (24.18%) in Suffolk breed (p<0.05). Evaluation of the biochemical parameters during different seasons showed a possible environmental effect on the health of the animals. The difference among minerals content showed the highest level in Ca, Mg, Fe in the autumn, P - in the summer, Cu and Zn - in the winter. The lowest differences between seasons were observed in content of Mg (1.24-4.03% from total average of all seasons) and Ca (0.59-8.18%), the highest – in Cu (2.52-18.36 %) and Zn (4.33-24.33%) (p