Ok Guys. I offer free choice Cargil Ready now Onyx loose mineral. (as suggested by so many) Some goats still have fish tails, but some do not. One of my bucks has it, the other doesn't. What does one do in that case? I have tried showing them the bucket or mineral, I've tried hand feeding it, and nothing. They sniff it, but walk away. Do I do the method of if they don't take it, they don't need it? Thanks for the assistance.:-D
Ok. I will have to try to find some. Do you wait until you see the fish tails, or do you do it regardless?
Do you use this one? http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=177dd401-ee37-4eec-899b-aeb38b98e6d3&gas=Copper Bolus Copper Bolus is completely new to me, and I'm not sure I even understand the dosage. It says to ask a vet, but I don't think any vets around me know about goats enough to dose this accurately.
I have to copper bolus 2 times a year because of the mineral content in my water. Some of the minerals block the absorption of copper. Yup, that is the stuff, though I buy the calf boluses.
I believe the dosage is 1 gram of copper per 20 lbs of goat. But I like to wait for signs such as fishtail ect before I give it. Overdosing can do harm, so I play it safe. This is just me, LOL. I have the loose salt and minerals out.
It's 1 gram per 22 lbs. of goat. According to "Natural Goat Care" you practically cannot overdose. :book: Vets in my area are also useless when it comes to goats.
Thanks for your help guys. Much appreciated. I've only done this a year and sometimes all the info and questions can be overwhelming.
No matter how long you have goats, something will come along that has not been experienced before! Even experienced goat folks get overwhelmed sometimes, so don't feel bad! The great thing about this site is no matter how bad something seems, someone has good information on how to help the situation!
http://www.amazon.com/UltraCruz-Goat-Copper-Bolus%C2%BB-C635674/dp/B00NLQCCII/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1410893262&sr=8-7&keywords=Copper+Bolus http://www.amazon.com/UltraCruz-Cop...8&qid=1410892993&sr=8-3&keywords=Copper+Bolus Has anyone used these? And How does one administer it? I know if I get the calf capsules, I will need to take them apart and measure it out per goat. Do you put it in water or something and drench it?
Yes, but I bought them from the manufacturer for less than that. Both 2 gram and 4 gram capsules. http://www.scbt.com/datasheet-363825-ultracruz-goat-copper-bolus.html And they are very nice at Ultra Cruz! Between the 2 and 4 gram caps I weight taped my goats and dosed them as close to 1 gram/per 22 pounds as I could get. I tricked them with banana, strawberries....anything I could get them to gobble down before they realized there was a copper bolus stuffed inside! It's been about 3 months since and I'm going to dose them again in the next few weeks. They are looking fabulous....(I was afraid but really had no one but myself to turn to.) In all fairness...I started them on Apple Cider Vinegar, Cod Liver Oil, Aloe, (finally a seaweed meal), and Goat Minerals and prayed my goats would start to look like healthy show dogs. I don't give them everything everyday, and I estimate dosage according to their weight compared to a horse. There are so many opinions on diet that I decided to go with my gut...and pay the closest attention to those who live in the same kind of environment that I do (I'm in the desert.) I also thought I'd better pick a book on goat care (Natural Goat Care by Pat Coleby). I'll never be afraid of copper again. I know this is a long post....but the only person I knew more clueless than me was the idiot I got my goats from. He doesn't even have brains enough to come to a place like this forum. AND... The Goat Spot ROCKS! :thumbup:
