Cobalt Deficiency in Sheep: Pine Disease and Welfare Management

Cobalt deficiency causing pine disease in lambs is a significant welfare problem on mineral-poor soils, preventable through targeted supplementation.

Key Facts

Cobalt is essential for rumen bacteria synthesising vitamin B12 in sheep
Deficiency causes pine disease: wasting, photosensitisation, and lachrymation in lambs
Affected lambs are weak, fail to thrive, and are highly susceptible to infectious disease
Cobalt-deficient pastures occur on light sandy and peat soils across the UK and Ireland
Treatment with cobalt bullets, drenching, or injectable B12 rapidly resolves deficiency

Welfare Considerations

Lambs with cobalt deficiency experience progressive wasting and debilitation. Pine disease causes extreme sensitivity to sunlight causing painful photosensitisation, excessive eye watering, and blindness from corneal damage. Affected lambs fail to respond to maternal care, becoming isolated and increasingly debilitated. Without treatment, severely affected lambs deteriorate and die. Simple preventive supplementation with cobalt bullets at turnout onto deficient pasture completely prevents this welfare-significant condition.

What You Can Do

Test pastures and blood/liver cobalt status in flocks on potentially deficient soils
Use cobalt bullets or regular cobalt drenching on identified deficient pastures
Monitor lamb growth rates and condition as early indicators of mineral deficiency
Consult your vet or nutritionist to develop a mineral supplementation programme
Share mineral deficiency knowledge with neighbouring farmers on similar soil types