Sheep farmers are being encouraged to take a proactive approach to managing cobalt deficiency, also known as pine, in newly weaned lambs, as surveillance data1continues to show a consistent seasonal spike in cases between July and September.
Figures from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) quarterly surveillance reports, identify cobalt deficiency as the third most common diagnosis during this period between 2016 and 2025. This highlights the need for targeted management during the post-weaning transition, when lambs are particularly vulnerable to nutritional and metabolic challenges.
Cobalt requirements
Cobalt is an essential trace element required for the synthesis of vitamin B12 in the rumen and plays a critical role in supporting growth, appetite and immune function.
Deficiency can result in ill-thrift, reduced daily liveweight gain, lethargy and poor overall performance, known collectively as ‘pine’. In more advanced cases, neurological signs and liver damage associated with ovine white liver syndrome can occur.
Nia Williams, technical livestock manager at Nettex, said the continued incidence of cobalt deficiency in mid- to late summer is likely influenced by a combination of environmental, nutritional and management factors.
Deficiency
She explained: “Weather patterns can have a significant impact on cobalt availability, with high rainfall leaching cobalt and other trace elements from soils and drought conditions limiting cobalt uptake. We often see a seasonal decline in pasture cobalt levels over the summer months because of this, coinciding with when lambs are weaned and have high requirements for growth.
“In addition, high iron or manganese levels, high pH soils and recent liming, can ‘lock up’ cobalt in the soil, further reducing its availability to livestock.
Ms Williams continued: “There is also a close and interchangeable association between cobalt deficiency and parasitic challenge.
“On one hand, high worm burdens can damage the gut, reducing vitamin B12 absorption, while on the other, cobalt/vitamin B12 deficient lambs may have compromised immunity, increasing susceptibility to parasites. It is important to work closely with your vet or animal health adviser to establish if cobalt deficiency may be exacerbating a parasite challenge.”
Prevention
Strategic supplementation remains one of the most effective ways to mitigate risk, with products such as Nettex’s Cobalt, Selenium & Vitamin B12 Drench providing a practical and reliable method of maintaining adequate trace element status during the high-risk weaning period.
Ms Williams added: “The post-weaning phase is a critical stage in a lamb’s development and with appropriate nutritional support, cobalt deficiency is largely preventable, helping to avoid unnecessary production losses and sustain optimal growth performance.”
Nettex’s Cobalt, Selenium & Vitamin B12 Drench also contains vitamin B1 (thiamine) and therefore can also help to reduce the potential risk of Cerebrocortical Necrosis (CCN), which typically affects lambs aged four to eight months.
“CCN is commonly triggered by dietary changes, such as weaning or movement onto new pasture, which disrupt rumen microbial populations,” explained Ms Williams.
Early clinical signs include blindness, isolation, aimless wandering and the characteristic “stargazing” posture, where the head is held arched backwards. The disease can progress rapidly, with affected animals becoming recumbent and developing seizures.
“A prevention strategy through the use of drenches such as Nettex’s Cobalt, Selenium & Vitamin B12 Drench is always preferable to treatment, especially in the case of CCN, as treatment requires veterinary intervention and multiple injections of vitamin B1 for at least three days,” added Ms Williams.
Close observation, alongside appropriate nutritional and health management, is key to supporting lamb performance and reducing the risk of both conditions during the post-weaning period.
