How often can copper be given?

farmmom · #1 01/11/12, 03:26 PM

My oldest doe who is 12 years old, is supposed to be black. I noticed yesterday that she was "rusting out" again. She gets copper every 3 months, but is still showing deficiency. How often can I give it? She's a Nubian and is getting 1 full calf bolus each time.

farmmom · #2 01/12/12, 06:23 AM

No one knows?

Alice In TX/MO · #3 01/12/12, 07:38 AM

A 12.5 gm bolus every three months? Wow. That's a lot.

Do you have water with high iron content?

What mineral do you have out for them?

At twelve years of age, I wouldn't over burden her liver with more than that.

Ranger · #4 01/12/12, 07:39 AM

Not sure. I would think that a whole calf bolus is much more than enough for many months. At her age maybe there's something else going on that makes her not be able to use the copper?

farmmom · #5 01/12/12, 08:00 AM

I'm not sure about the iron content in the water. I'll have to check that. They are on Golden Blend minerals.

Backfourty,MI. · #6 01/12/12, 08:07 AM

I was going to ask the same thing as Alice. Too much iron in your water will stop the absorption of the copper.

Do you have a water softner that the water from the barn can come through?
I use the Right Now Onyx minerals so I don't know about the Golden Blend. How much Copper in the golden blend?

I also agree with Alice at 12 years old, all the copper is hard on her system. I would be checking on the water situation. That may be the culprit or root to the problem.

RedSonja · #7 01/12/12, 10:09 AM

Is she also getting Bo-Se?

I have a 12 year old black Nubian doe that always looks copper deficient as well. I got her a year ago and have been trying to get her coat back to black all that time, she was probably never given copper before I got her. And I know we have high iron levels in our water here, which doesn't help. But, my other two black Nubian does that I got from someone that did copper and Bo-Se are slick and shiny and black.

-Sonja

**mygoat** · #8 01/12/12, 11:04 AM

I thought I read somewhere that the signs of mild copper toxicity are often the same signs as mild copper deficiency, to some degree.

You are giving a lot of copper, very regularly. I would say not to increase the amount nor the regularity. There are many reasons why animals can 'rust out'. Black animals are susceptible to hair sunburn, and worm load can also cause a ratty looking haircoat. Ammonia from laying in bedding - clean though it may seem - can also cause damage over time. Check the coat underneath the exterior - is it dark and shiny?

Also, I've noticed that many black animals naturally have some brown coloration on the thighs, for example. This may be from laying in bedding and getting ammonia burn.

To some extent, iron in the water will slow the absorption of copper, but at such high rates of copper I doubt even high iron in the water will cause that much of an issue.

It's hard to say how much copper is necessary, simply because the best way to tell mineral levels in the body is to do a liver biopsy and run appopriate tests. I would worry that you're actually building up TOO MUCH copper at this point.

DWH Farm · #9 01/12/12, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

I thought I read somewhere that the signs of mild copper toxicity are often the same signs as mild copper deficiency, to some degree.

That was my first thought as well.

Pony · #10 01/12/12, 04:50 PM

I dose my full-grown Nubians 2x a year with the 12.5 copasure. Last year, they were looking a little scruffy about a month before they were due, so I hit them early.

farmmom · #11 01/12/12, 05:38 PM

She does get Bo-Se as well. I was originally giving her 1/2 a bolus every 6 months and have gradually increased it over time. As soon as I give it, I see her starting to darken and her tail fills in. If she was in toxicity, I wouldn't expect and improvement when she's given the copper. I plan to pick up a water test kit this weekend to check the iron level. Does anyone know what it should be?