Tissue Trace Mineral Concentrations of Abattoir Sheep and Goats at the End of the Dry and Wet Seasons of Central Trinidad

A study was conducted to evaluate serum and tissue micro-mineral concentrations of sheep and goats at the end of the dry and wet seasons in Trinidad. Tissue Samples for analysis were taken from the same liver lobe, the kidney cortex mainly (and outer medulla) and the cerebral hemispheres. Tissue sample trace concentrations were for Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn were determined by Atomic absorption spectroscopy. Sheep had lower mean liver Zn (P<0.01) and brain Zn (P<0.05) in the wet than in the dry season, while goats had lower liver Zn (P<0.05) and kidney Zn (P<0.01) in the wet season. Manganese levels were lower (P<0.05) in sheep livers in the dry than the wet season, and in brains of adults than in growing lambs. Tissue Zn levels in the wet season in some sheep and goats and particularly growing lambs probably indicated a state of marginal Zn deficiency. Also, in the dry and in the wet seasons, 4070% of sheep and goats had liver Cu below critical level (<25 mg/kg DM).