Copper Bolus'

I order it from Jeffers. None of the local feed stores, either here or in Missouri stock it.

__________________
Alice
* * *
"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus

Do any of you have experience with the copper sulfate found at the hardware store? It's labeled for drain cleaning, but I've heard of people using it for goats. I wouldn't mind using it, but I don't know the dosage amount.

I do not suggest it for multiple reasons.

1. it is not a very available form, and very variable.

2. It will not lodge in the intestine and offer long term dosing.

3. generally it's dosed in water, and would depend on how much water your goats drink/day. Extremely variable especially when goats may choose not to drink when you add stuff to the water. Anything that decreases water intake should be avoided.

4. If dosed in the water, availability still will depend on what other metals are in your water.

5. Only so much can dissolve in water, and drenching really liquid things usually ends up in most of it ending up on the ground

6. Goats will hate you for drencing them often. Most people find goats enjoy replamin, so it's not a rodeo.

7. I hate having to 'do' stuff to goats, and this would need to be done often, all year. I'd rather bolus 2x per year and call it good.

Then again, I have heard of people who do it this way. You won't ever see me doing it this way, though.

__________________


Dona Barski

"Breed the best, eat the rest"

Caprice Acres

French and American Alpines. CAE, Johnes neg herd. Abscess free. LA, DHIR.

Thanks for the advice mygoat.

I know one girl with Nubians that puts the copper sulfate in her goats' mineral mix.

I understand your reasoning though and I'll probably end up buying from Jeffers.

If you look at the feed tag for your minerals, there is probably already copper sulfate in the minerals.

__________________


Dona Barski

"Breed the best, eat the rest"

Caprice Acres

French and American Alpines. CAE, Johnes neg herd. Abscess free. LA, DHIR.

This is an older thread but it makes me wonder where Boermama has been????

__________________
Teach only Love...for that is what You are

Our area is not copper difficient. It is selenium deficient. The only goat showing symptoms of copper difficiency is my buck; so I open the copper boluses and pour them onto the top part of his grain that I have added some molasses to. He gobbles it all down...no problem.

__________________
I am what I am! Acknowledging this is the beginning; and my growth is yet to end. http://motdaugrnds.com/farmsales ~~~~~ http://motdaugrnds.com