If I'm feeding BOSS, do I still need Bo-Se shots?

[jill.costello]

I copper bolus my goats 2x per year, and they both get a BOSS/Haystretcher pellet mix 2x per day (can't give alfalfa, they're fat already!). I would guess they are consuming 1/3 lb of BOSS each per day, as well as browsing on weeds, grass, brush, bark, and the horses coastal hay free choice. They get a loose mineral, too.

Now that I'm in Central Florida (know for poor selenium), is the BOSS still going to be enough or should I look in to Bo-Se shots as well?

[suzyhomemaker09]

Boss just adds fat...Bose shots are mostly about adding selenium in deficient areas...
I'd say yes...not as if you can overdose them on it.

[coso]

BOSS is high in selenium. But I still give BoSE post breeding and prekidding. I feed the BOSS more to add oil and slick them off.

[Alice In TX/MO]

BOSS is just a wee bit of a supplement, not a major feed component.

Confused about your alfalfa comment, Jill. Why feed the concentrate, which is pouring on calories and not alfalfa, which has calcium that milkers need?

[jill.costello]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

BOSS is just a wee bit of a supplement, not a major feed component.

Confused about your alfalfa comment, Jill. Why feed the concentrate, which is pouring on calories and not alfalfa, which has calcium that milkers need?

LOL, my goats are pets, not in milk. I just have Cayenne my Alpine doe and her wether-son, Sparky.

The "haystretcher" pellets are just that: grass hay ground up into pellet form. The BOSS is for flavor to get them to eat the pellets!

I give it to them not because they need extra hay, but to give them SOMETHING that rattles around in their dishes while I feed the horses.....they are horrible theives and if they're busy with their "pretend" grain, the horses can eat in peace!

I asked the question about Selenium because of the mention of BOSS having good selenium in another thread.

[Goat Servant]

Everybody here gets their BoSe twice a year, once before breeding then shortly before kidding & they get a handful of BOSS in their grain.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Yeah, but I'm NOT giving Cassie a BoSe shot this year before breeding. I can't handle dealing with quintuplets again.

[Freeholder]

For the last seven years, I've been feeding BOSS to my goats and NOT giving the BoSe shots. It started out as an experiment -- I wanted to see if the Vit. E (a precursor of selenium) in the BOSS was sufficient to replace the shots. I've lost track of how many kids have been born here in the last seven years, but only twice have I had a kid start to look 'floppy,' and in both cases it was easily fixed by giving the kid a capsule or two of Vit. E. We are in a selenium-deficient area, although I don't know *how* deficient the local hay is.

The amount of BOSS I've fed my goats has varied from a scant handful to probably a cup or more at a time, with their other grain (I'm feeding whole grains, no pellets).

It's probably cheaper to just get the BoSe shots, though.

Kathleen

[ozark_jewels]

Jill, if yours were working goats, I'd say stick with Bo-Se. But since yours are pets, you might just leave off the Bo-Se and see how it goes. They may not need it if they are getting a good loose mineral and BOSS.

[Creamers]

I'd see how their condition is with out it - time will tell you if you need it.