Estimation of selenium concentration in the diet using oesophageally fistulated sheep

Abstract

Dietary selenium concentration was estimated from the selenium concentration of whole and squeezed extrusa collected from oesophageally fistulated sheep. Neither estimate was reliable, and variability between sheep was large. 75Se-selenomethionine was injected intravenously into fistulated sheep and was then used to correct for salivary contamination, but while this correction reduced the difference between selenium concentrations in feed and extrusa, it did not reduce variability between sheep.