Where to get copper?

[mrs.H]

We have just acquired another doe that looks like a poster child for copper deficiency. I have the other goats on a loose mineral and they are beautiful. I don't want to make her play catch up with loose minerals, so I want to dose her with copper. I will go ahead and do the others too, because that would be good for them. But my feed store does not carry it.

So, where does every one get their copper?

Thank you, I have learned so much from you guys!

[ShyAnne]

I got mine through Jeffers, I ordered it online.

[AuntKitty]

You have to buy alot through Jeffers. I would be willing to share a few boluses with you. PM me if interested.

Kitty

[mygoat]

You can kill goats with overdosing on copper. If your other goat's tail tips are fully haired, they aren't showing signs of bleaching color, then don't bolus them. However, the deficient one could maybe use a bolus to get her around, but she may not need another one again... I would buy two her size, and give one. i say buy two, because you'll need a fresh one if she manages to spit it out. You will need a bolus gun, or something that you can stick WAY back in her mouth to make her take the boluses without crunching them.

[Heritagefarm]

*sigh* This is the problem with forums......
1. Mrs H, funny you should say she looked like a poster for copper deficiency, since copper bolusing is a relatively new 'fad'.
2. Mygoat, it is very hard to overdose with copper. The pieces get lodged in whichever stomach it gets lodged in, and is then used as needed. It is possible to overdose, but however hard.

[Oregon Julie]

I hate dealing with a bolus, what about injectable?

[Alice In TX/MO]

Unfortunately, no injections. It's bolusing.

Luckily, there is some new research that says as long as you get it IN the goat, it's ok.

Mix it with peanut butter and put it on crackers if you are intimidated by bolusing.

[mygoat]

As I was instructed when I began looking into copper bolusing, read up on Saanendoah.com before bolusing. The fact that it's quite possible to overdose copper should be enough for you to want to learn more.

[Heritagefarm]

Saanadoah is a good site to read on.

[mygoat]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Unfortunately, no injections. It's bolusing.

Luckily, there is some new research that says as long as you get it IN the goat, it's ok.

Mix it with peanut butter and put it on crackers if you are intimidated by bolusing.

All of mine but one goat managed to crunch theirs due to bad procedure... On the last goat, I figured out how to modify my calf bolus gun so that my size of boluses would work appropriately, and got them down her throat in one piece. The one doe that didn't crunch hers looks beautiful this spring - smoother coat, and is darker in color than I ever remember her being. The others still look like icky copper deficient animals. I am putting off re-bolusing them until their 5-6 months is up just in case, but I don't think they were as effective.

[deineria]

Bolusing isn't too bad - depending on the goat, but Alice also, I believe, posted a site where they recommended wrapping the copper in a marshmellow - a small piece . . . and the goat's liking them so well - they swollowed them whole without chewing. Might try that.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Whitney is selling boluses paired down to goat size on dairygoatinfo.com in the 4 sale section. With them and a less than $5 pill gun for cats and dogs found at all feed stores, it's all you need.

It's not a new fad, read sannendoah.com some of us have been bolusing from the mid to late 90's, my first test was 96, others since the early 90's. Most of the problems came from everyone blaming everything on CAE and selenium, they bo-sed their goats looking for cures for everything. I very vividly remember sitting at club with my first realization that 'these gals are guessing' guessing about what wormers are working, what minerals we are defficent in and just about everything else. And sadly there are many giving out answers today that are also guessing. I started searching, learned to fecal from a parasitologist out here, pulled blood for selenium levels, found Joyce, before the internet from a blurb written in a dairygoat club newsletter. Why getting information from her site, where all the testings were done is so important, then following others who have herds you admire in your area, who do liver biopsy on older stock they put down, so you know if its needed, if it works. Vicki

[motdaugrnds]

Thank you Vicki. You always give great information.

[victory]

The information I first received about copper, and the dangers of killing a goat with copper was referring to liquid copper, which I would never ever use. I have only ever used CoPasture from Valley Vet. I did try marshmallows, to no avail. If your goats are little piggies, then give them the copper in what ever they will hog down, my sister gave copper in grain, loose, her goats ate it all. My goats however are so terribly fussy that I shove the bolus down their throat, making sure they swallow it all the way before letting them go.
I have had a terrible challenge with the vet I work with as she does not realize the problem from a lack of copper especially in the NW, and that loose minerals are not enough!! I do look forward to more professionals understanding the dire need for copper, vitamin e, etc in our beloved goats!!