Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Selenium and Vitamin E Deficiency

Selenium and vitamin E deficiency causes white muscle disease in lambs and ewes, a painful and preventable welfare condition.

Key Facts

White muscle disease (nutritional muscular dystrophy) causes muscle weakness and often death
Both selenium and vitamin E are antioxidants protecting muscle cells from oxidative damage
Selenium-deficient soils in many UK regions require supplementation of grazing ewes
Injected or oral selenium supplementation of ewes in late pregnancy prevents disease in lambs
Selenium toxicity is a real risk - testing blood levels before supplementation is important

Welfare Considerations

White muscle disease causes painful muscle degeneration in affected lambs, often proving fatal. Prevention through targeted supplementation of ewes in late pregnancy is simple, affordable, and entirely prevents this suffering.

What You Can Do

Support sheep farmers testing selenium status and supplementing appropriately
Advocate for trace element monitoring as a component of sheep welfare certification
Choose wool and lamb from farms demonstrating evidence-based mineral supplementation programs