I use the copasure cow/calf boluses. Open them up and dose at 1 gram per 22lbs body weight. I usually 'round up' a bit, but not a ton. I bolus goats, many people make their goats fancy treats. Up to you. Bolusing is easier/faster for me.
Copper has warnings because there is such a thing as too much, and animals like sheep are very susceptible to copper amounts. For a long time, goats were not researched and just assumed to be the same as sheep, many things still carry copper warnings for goats as well as sheep, due to this outdated idea. I am NOT the person to dose goats constantly for copper because:
1. Most things people blame on copper bleaching (brown coats) Is just dead hair from environmental damage (ammonia burned hair from laying in 'normal' soiled bedding, sun bleaching etc). My black goats get it on their rear legs and belly quite a lot. True copper bleaching STARTS AT THE ROOT because it is a decrease in pigmentation that is added to the hair as it is synthesized. NOthing but environment can damage already grown hair. If your goats have black/dark shiny roots to their hair, they are likely fine.
My alpines get long shaggy scruffy gross hair every year. Some are fuzzier than others. They all look horrible until shaved.
After shaved they're shiny and have great color again.
2. NO upper limit has been determined for goats because it's difficult - that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Copper does not clear the body fast, and tends to accumulate in the liver over a LONG time until some 'maximum' load is reached... at which point it is released into the bloodstream and causes a hemolytic crisis from which there is not much you can do to save them. Essentially, it lyses blood cells and kills rapidly. (I am pretty sure the limit has to do with the molybdenum intake as well; The toxicity of copper is the deficiency of molybdenum and vice versa, treatments for toxicity/deficiency depends on these interactions) You cannot test for true copper levels with serum easily since it is sequestered in the liver, a liver biopsy is a better tool for copper levels... not something easily done without a vet.
so while it is apparently not high risk because I think people are overdosing their goats quite regularly and I have yet to see any evidence of people having hemolytic crisises...
3. I see no benefit to the overdosing of copper. I dose pre-kidding in the spring to cover worm bloom/parturition/lactational demands in spring, and again in fall to cover health pre-breeding. I do not bolus my 'maintenance' animals which are pets because, IMO, the copper in the minerals should be adequate for their demands as they regularly consume it.
Anywho, I prefer to copper bolus before breeding and before kidding. I also do BoSe at this time. I give CDT along with BoSe/Copper 1 month pre-kidding.
