copper bolusing-could someone check me?

[mzgarden]

I bought the 4g copasure but my girls are 120 pounds so I need to break this up to proper doses. At 120 pounds and 1g per 22 pounds, they need about 5.5g

I have empty gel caps (size 13, 3.2ml) and the bolusing tube from Jeffers.
I've filled two gel caps with 5.5 g copper.

My question is - these look huge. Am I at risk for choking the girls?

ps, I did try to feed them the copper in treats - no dice. Won't touch molasses, won't eat a marshmallow, no bread or peanut butter.

[Goats Galore]

Most goats do not like new textures...try feeding small peanut butter sandwiches periodically until they get used to it. You did not mention banana. Our goats love pieces of banana.

[Alice In TX/MO]

The dosing is not that critical. I would give a large goat two of the 4 gm boluses. No, they won't choke.

[mzgarden]

Thanks! As for snacks, I've tried banana and no go. I haven't really found they will anything other than their regular foods and winter squash. The squash was a surprise. They went through the fencing to the squash patch where I was growing big Cushaws. Apparently that's goat-candy and I had no idea. Butternut was also favored, but not pumpkins. Silly girls.

Thanks for the responses - I'm always learning.

[motdaugrnds]

When I was giving copper to my goats, I simply poured the capsules' contents out onto a small bit of molasses that I topped their "individual" pans of grain with. They ate it up without problems. (Since my area is not deficient in copper and I no longer give my goats BOSS, I never see symptoms of copper deficiency anymore.)

I do, however, have an area deficient in selenium and, instead of using Bo-Se for this, I use Replamin Plus, which has a bit of copper in it with the selenium. This is working real well and has been for over a year now. (All the goats LOVE this Replamin Plus.)

[Woolieface]

I open the capsules and mix with yogurt, spoon into a large syringe and they swallow it down eagerly without chewing any of the rods. Sometimes you have to draw up a little water and give it to them again to get the last few bits in them but they like the taste of yogurt flavoured water, too.

[mzgarden]

Thanks. I was able to bolus them without problem. I have tried molasses - no go, but I had not tried yogurt. I can give that a shot for sure next time.

Thanks everyone.

[goto10]

I found this method online but I cut am marshmallow in half and put some of the copper rods in there. I open a 12.5 copasure for cows and divvy it up into 3 equal portions for my nigerians and just pack it inside the marshmallow. Then you try to stick it in back of their mouth, they aren't supposed to chew it but most of the time they do. It still works though because if they are deficient and have a rough coat, a month or two later they are looking all smooth and shiny.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Your goats must be USED to eating treats before you use treats to sneak copper into them.

Spoil them with a variety of offerings. It sometimes takes SEVERAL times for a goat to decide to taste something. They are very cautious.