Yeah! Cooper deficiency GONE in two does, herbally!

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G,day all,this Copper thing is such a vexed question ,how much for how long?.............We use Copper Sulphate at a rate by volume of 1part in 26 parts of a complete mix ,4parts of the mix is Kelp meal...We have used it on our current flock(now closed)for over 15 years now and we believe we have "slowly"got our stocks systems re-balanced",to the extent we can almost "forecast"when increased usage will begin.............Just my view for what its worth ..............T.O.R.

 

[Mossy Stone Farm]

:/ what i am wondering is WHY there is such a great decrease in cooper in goats to begine with.. Is our feed source? hay, additives soil? I have only had goats a few yrs and haven't run into a great deal of problems, but have noticed and seen a few things that have me really wondering.

I went ahead and placed an order with Fir Medow for a few things to try...

I wouldnt say we are organic i am like most who will use what i need to make sure my goats and other animals remain healthy.

 

[elevan]

Herbally supplementing copper intrigues me because I we've all found out...copper bolusing can be trying at times.

AlaskanShepherdess - just a couple questions...How was deficiency diagnosed? Was it a visual assessment or blood work? Do have before and after photos that you can share?

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Mossy Stone Farm - imo it's our grain supply source and in some parts our hay sources that contribute to our copper problems. My goats are in great condition when they are on browse in the summer - fall but come winter-spring when they are on grain and hay I start to see a change that is more that a thickening of their hair :/
Scientific research has already proven that the foods that we humans feed ourselves are less nutritious than they were 100 yrs ago...why should this not hold true of the animal feed as well.

 

[Griffin's Ark]

Just as a side note, the copper boluses are Copper Oxide, almost completely undigestable for goats. The copper that a goat needs to fix a copper deficiency is copper sulfate (I believe). The copper in the boluses is Copper Oxide Wire Particles and it is a natural anthelemic for Barber Pole worms (commonly found in the SE US). Copper is an all natural substance and using copper boluses is one way to remain organic and keep your goats safe from Barber Pole worms. The Barber Pole worms cannot get used to the copper and the particles stay in the goats stomachs for 6 months to a year giving continued protection for your goats (or cows).

Giving the bolus is quite easy, if you open them and pour them on an opened fig newton. Then throw away the shell and ball up the fig bar. Fig bars seem to be irresistible to goats (something I just learned). I always dreaded giving the boluses, but now they get the copper with out the added drama!

 

[elevan]

Griffin's Ark - Thanks for the fig newton tip My goats are due soon for their bolus, I'll try that way and see how it goes.

 

[Mossy Stone Farm]

thats a great idea about fig newtons, which are my fav too, always have some around....

 

[20kidsonhill]

We are doing copper bolusing to hlelp with the barber pole worm loads, so far it seems to be really helping. Everyone is staying nice and pink, We use the famancha system for worming on an as needed basis. We used half the copper rods in each bolus. Many of my goats aren't tame enough to approach you and take a hand held treat, so bolusing is really our only way to get it all done.

 

[AlaskanShepherdess]

AlaskanShepherdess - just a couple questions...How was deficiency diagnosed? Was it a visual assessment or blood work? Do have before and after photos that you can share?

Elevan-

I just recently found out that they still had a few symptoms of copper deficiency but the ones I was looking at (fishtail and off colored fur) had disappeared, and the day I gave the last dose I discovered I had given it wrong so that is why I did not see the results I expected to see. I did see definite improvement, just not complete "recovery" as I once thought.

The two that I thought were no longer deficient but are still, still have a bald tail tip, but no longer a fishtail, and I was told by a friend that the dandruff problem they were having was from copper deficiency.

The two that I wasn't seen a whole lot of improvement in haven't had much change, but like I believe I mentioned earlier, I had a real hard time getting them to take it, which means they received WAY less, while the other two considered it a treat, and I was able to give them more of it.

I am ordering a lot more and will be doing it correctly this time. I ran out of kelp (which is low in copper) and couldn't order it for a while so I had to buy a standard mineral, and I bought one high in copper. I have recently been given 5 goats that were in need of some nutritional care, several of them still have their long shaggy winter coats, which I have read that when a goat is copper deficient it cannot lose it's fur properly. Within 3 days of giving them the new high copper mineral one of my new goats started "blowing" her coat, so there is going to be some improvement in all from this mineral, but it does not have enough copper to provide all their needs.

So in my now entire herd the copper deficiency signs that I have are;

wiry fur
not shedding winter coats
fish tails
bald tail tips
excessive dandruff
possible off colored fur
does not getting bred
does not cycling
does not keeping a pregnancy
heavy worm loads

I'll try to keep everyone updated on how it works once I use it properly. I really do believe it works well, and I know a number of folks who use it with great success.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

How have you determined copper deficiency is the only or primary factor contributing to that list of issues? For me heavy worm loads, fertility issues, and poor skin and coat health would be cause to look at more than just copper levels. As others have mentioned, there's plenty of research correlating parasite resistance and adequate copper levels but copper supplementation is just one part of an integrated parasite management program. Suspected deficiency aside, consistently high FECs or poor FAMACHA scores (IMO) would indicate that the rest of the program isn't picking up the slack.

 

[AlaskanShepherdess]

The goats that have the heavy worm load are the ones that were given to me, and I am out of wormer until it arrives soon. They were treated with one dose of ivermectin before being taken to my place, but one dose is not enough to get rid of a heavy worm load.

The goats of my "old" herd that have worm issues only have it because I ran out without being able to give them a full program, and money has been VERY tight lately, so it's been a while since they were wormed. I was also not pleased with Hoegger's herbal dewormer, and I am trying out Fir Meadows this time to see if I like the way it works. If those both fail I will have to use a chemical wormer before trying out a new herbal.