The effect of oral oxidised copper wire on liver copper in farmed red deer

Abstract

Twenty-two weaner red deer stags grazed on a marginally copper-deficient property were used to evaluate the effect on liver copper levels of log oxidised copper wire particles given orally. The deer were assigned to two groups on the basis of pre-trial liver copper levels, and grazed together for the duration of the trial from March to October. Liver biopsies were collected from treated and control deer on six occasions at monthly intervals and were analyzed for copper content.

Mean liver copper in the treated group rose from pre-treatment levels of 101.8μmol/kg to a peak of 849.6μmol/kg two months after copper administration. Thereafter, levels fell steadily until six months after administration when they averaged 84.8μmol/kg. The mean liver copper content of untreated deer rose from 102.7μmol/kg at the commencement of the trial, peaked at 255.3μmol/kg after two months, fell to 103μmol/kg one month later and remained low thereafter. The liver copper content in treated deer was significantly higher than for control deer for the duration of the study (p<0.0l for months 1–4 and 6, p <0.05 for month 5).

It is concluded that log oxidised copper wire particles acted to provide adequate liver copper stores for up to five months in deer grazed on a marginally copper-deficient property.