Sheep Selenium Deficiency Welfare and Prevention

Selenium deficiency in sheep causes white muscle disease, reproductive failure and immunosuppression with significant welfare costs.

Key Facts

Selenium deficiency causes white muscle disease in lambs, leading to inability to stand or suckle
UK soils are generally selenium-deficient, requiring dietary supplementation in most flocks
Subclinical deficiency reduces fertility, growth rate and disease resistance without obvious signs
Supplementation is provided as injectable selenium, boluses or selenium-enriched fertilisers
Blood testing of representative animals identifies deficiency before clinical disease occurs
Selenium toxicity is also possible - supplementation doses must be accurate

Welfare Considerations

White muscle disease causes significant suffering in affected lambs who cannot stand to suckle and may die without intervention. Subclinical deficiency compromises immune function and reproductive performance without obvious signs. Proactive supplementation based on soil and blood testing prevents both clinical and subclinical welfare losses.

What You Can Do

Support sheep farm assurance schemes that include trace element monitoring requirements
Choose lamb from farms demonstrating proactive health and nutrition management
Advocate for inclusion of selenium monitoring in standard flock health planning
Learn more from the Moredun Research Institute on selenium in sheep health