Blood copper of ewes during pregnancy

Abstract

Blood Cu detns. were made on 21 breeding ewes at monthly intervals throughout the period of pregnancy. Although individual fluctuations were considerable, the avg. values at each bleeding were very constant and there was no support for the view that pregnancy in sheep was accompanied by a physiological rise in blood Cu. Such changes as were observed fell within the normal range of variation previously found for non-pregnant sheep, and increase and decrease of individual values bore no relationship to the stage of pregnancy.