Mineral strangeness

trnubian · #41 12/17/12, 01:01 PM

I have been really curious about trying the replamin plus once my minerals run out. I use the Right now Onxy minerals. I also give Bo-Se shots and copper bolus. So am I correct in reading that those of you who are using replamin plus are NOT using Bo-Se or copper bolusing? I think I would be fine with not copper bolusing but I am not sure I am comfortable with no Bo-Se pre kidding or none given to newborns.
How early do you start kids on this?
Does the replamin replace everything that they would get in their loose minerals? I do not feed prebagged feed. So they only get their minerals and vitamins from their hay and whole grains..

Sorry to sorta hijack the thread.

I have also noticed my heavy bred does go through a ton of mineral and more when it's cold or cold and wet.
Another thought of mine would be leaving just straight loose stock salt out for the goats while giving replamin. I know heavy milkers crave alot of salt especially when it's hot out.

Frosted Mini's · #42 12/17/12, 01:20 PM

Okay, what I mean by "when you're done experimenting" is when you all have used it for awhile and aren't having problems with kidding, etc.

So, how long have people here been using this?

CaliannG · #43 12/17/12, 01:24 PM

I haven't bolused or Bo-Se'd this year, and results have been varied per goat. My two girls that I have always had problems with deficiencies with will be getting Bo-Se next year, although they have been fine with copper. The others, probably not. I have no need for quints or sextuplets.

I was using Right Now Onyx before. The difficulty has always been that the goats that NEED the minerals don't eat the dang stuff enough, and those that never have problems scarf them. By giving the gel, everyone gets what they are supposed to have, and I can adjust dosages for those that need more or less, depending upon their condition.

It is, basically, about control. Right now, I have 4 non-producing adults, and 2 milkers that are getting a full dose once per week, 2- 4 month old babies that are getting it once per week, 1 milking doe that it getting a full dose twice per week, and one milking doe that is getting a full dose 3 times per week. (I probably left someone out, but I am busy today.) I can watch their condition and adjust their mineral intake simply by changing how often I squeeze a dollop on their feed, which makes it pretty simple.

The Replamin replaces everything you will find in their loose mineral, and more. ~smiles~ How much Vitamin E and Vitamin D is in Right Now Onyx?

CaliannG · #44 12/17/12, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosted Mini's

Okay, what I mean by "when you're done experimenting" is when you all have used it for awhile and aren't having problems with kidding, etc.

So, how long have people here been using this?

I have been using it since late spring/early summer. I had three does kid out in late summer/early fall, and the only one that had any problems was an "Ooopsy" breeding that was too young, who kidded with a large single buckling that had to be pulled. The other two were easy, uneventful births, one a single, the other triplets. Everyone not only lived, but thrived, and I had no issues with weak kids at birth. Everyone was up and eating within 20 minutes.

trnubian · #45 12/17/12, 01:50 PM

Thanks for the info Caliann. So do you give your 2 to d week olds a full 5 cc dose or do you cut that in half or fouths depending on their size?
I am really tempted to use this as I have a 9 year old doe who has ALWAYS had deficiancy issues and a low immune system. She always has a very hard time bouncing back from kidding, usually gets staph on her udder and has other skin issues as well. I am hoping maybe this will help her over that hump of stress after kidding. Any thoughts?

lasergrl · #46 12/17/12, 02:05 PM

I have had good overall results, however I would recommend bo-se prior to kidding as my last set was born with white muscle. That hasnt happened since I was able to get an rx for bo-se. This goat I wasnt expecting to kid so she didnt get it, but had gotten replamin weekly.

Alice In TX/MO · #47 12/17/12, 03:54 PM

I'm going to BoSe before kidding. I did NOT do it before breeding because quintuplets is an INCREDIBLE hassle that I don't want to repeat.

I have not seen the need for copper supplementation (fish tails or fading coats) since starting Replamin in mid summer.

Backfourty,MI. · #48 12/17/12, 04:52 PM

I think I started the replamin Plus about the same time Alice did & I have not Copper bolused anyone since last winter & they all have nice thick, soft coats, no faded or discoloration or fish tails here either.

I have never gave Bo-Se shots before here for any of my goats & so far so good with Kidding, etc. I do give the babies the liquid from a vitamin E capsule 400 I.U. right after their born & after they've had a good few drinks of colostrum.

CaliannG · #49 12/17/12, 09:39 PM

trnubian, this fall, I gave my two keeper bucklings a 1/2 cc each in their bottle at 3 weeks... with poor results. Not poor results with the kids, they reacted fine. Poor results with the bottles. The stuff does NOT mix with liquid hardly at ALL. It was a real pain cleaning the green film out of those bottles! I think that next time I try with babies I am just going to put the appropriate sized glob on my finger and smear it in their mouth.

LonestarChic has excellent results with it in her 9 year old Alpine doe that had problems with mineral deficiencies.

The Replamin Plus Gel falls under the list of things we label "Can't hurt an may help". My neighbor got some goats at the sale barn and brought them home, they were in horrible shape. So we gave them double the recommended dosage (10cc) DAILY for 2 weeks. Since these were cheapie, already bad off, sale barn meat goats, we didn't feel bad experimenting. (We did, of course, also worm the bejeebers out of them and treat them for coccidia) Double the recommended dose given daily for two weeks did NOT overdose these already weak animals. They all recovered wonderfully.

NO! I would NOT recommend giving doses like that to cared for critters! Do not even THINK of doing that. ANYONE reading this, don't even THINK it. This was a special case with animals that we really did not expect to live anyway, they were SO deficient, SO parasite loaded, and SO malnourished.

But the situation did allow me to experiment and the critters served a useful purpose (In addition to being honored guests as the main dish for the reception of my neighbor's son, two months later). A person would have a hard time giving too much of this stuff and causing toxicity issues, even if they were dosing several times per week.

nod4eight · #50 12/18/12, 09:16 AM

I'm obviously not a nutritionist, but I have been trying to learn more about it. When we start to supplement diets, as we need to do with kept animals, there is a whole spiderweb effect that can happen. I was talking with my feed supplier the other day about this as well. Adding or increasing one thing (or in the case of Replamin many things) can lead to a need for something else. Also, as Caliann said earlier, as feed sources change through the year these needs will change as well. I had free choice minerals in with my goats all year, they barely touched it. I started using Replamin in mid-November and within only a few days the container was empty. But since then their coats have started to look healthier and I noticed the other day that their recent horn growth looks healthier too!

trnubian · #51 12/18/12, 02:20 PM

Thanks Caliann. Yeah I would definately swab kids mouths with it to make sure they get it. Sounds like you had fun cleaning bottles.

I will most likely go ahead and order a tube to try with my next order. Thanks

Minelson · #52 12/18/12, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nod4eight

I'm obviously not a nutritionist, but I have been trying to learn more about it. When we start to supplement diets, as we need to do with kept animals, there is a whole spiderweb effect that can happen. I was talking with my feed supplier the other day about this as well. Adding or increasing one thing (or in the case of Replamin many things) can lead to a need for something else. Also, as Caliann said earlier, as feed sources change through the year these needs will change as well. I had free choice minerals in with my goats all year, they barely touched it. I started using Replamin in mid-November and within only a few days the container was empty. But since then their coats have started to look healthier and I noticed the other day that their recent horn growth looks healthier too!

I have the same thing going on. In the past, I had to refill my mineral mostly because of them spilling it or old age. Now yesterday I gave the their Replamin. They went right for the mineral block and the loose minerals. Immediately. Scarfrd down the Right Now Onyx.. About a cup between 4 mini's. If it was weather related I would have noticed it in the past. It is Replamin related. No doubt. So of course I have to worry..can they get too much minerals? I know they can! From when I thought Gretta possible had Selenium Poising. Jeepers. Maybe they are just that defeciant and they need them and somehow the Replamin is kick starting it. They are all acting fine. It's just so weird.