Hi Everybody :)

Beth Keene November 9, 2013 at 5:50am

No, I grew up in Illinois :) I too love my little goats :)

Laura Smits November 8, 2013 at 7:13pm

Hi Beth,
I know it has been awhile since you posted. We are new members and saw your name. I knew a Beth Keene when I went to school. Did you go to Gilbertsville school in NY? By the way, we love these goat too. Making cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream, and love it!

Melissa Johnson October 16, 2010 at 11:18pm

Deborah says she top dresses so that will be what I do next time. I found out my doe doesnt care for peanut butter. :) I used a little grain, peanut butter and a little molasses. She ate it - not like I thought she would, but we have had an upsetting weekend. Her sister had a boyfriend over this weekend - so we all have been a bit unnerved. :)

Melissa Johnson said:

ok, well maybe Illinois - ) on the goat dairy.......sigh...

Melissa Johnson said:
Dr. Pete Plescia - Creswell, OR - I still think I might bottle him ^^ ;)

Beth Keene said:
Who is this guy?....lol
Maybe he's not too far away for me
Yes, you definately want to hold on to those :)
I own the copper sulfate......it's unopened in the BIG box.....BUT would certainly choose to bolus first....if the need be.
The problwm is toxicity........Do you know how much mineral each goat eats......which ones chow it down and which ones barely touch it.....I don't .....too risky
If you don't like the idea of dosing the boluses.....I have friends who report great results with placing the co pasture either in peanut butter or marshmallows.
Same results and recent research claims its just as good.

Melissa Johnson October 16, 2010 at 11:16pm

I got the COWP today. I copied off the net 56 lbs. 2.5 g of COWP - my goat weighs 55 lbs. so I dosed 2.4 g. I just read your reply - so next time I will dose as you do. She isnt coming into heat like she should only 1x in the last couple of months. So that is the main reason I was suspicious. My other doe was bred yesterday for the first time - that was quite an experience - for me and her.
Melissa Johnson said:

that's what I LOVE, a straight forward answer!! I will get the COWP

Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
There are documented cases of toxicity when using copper sulfate, but not with copper oxide wire particles (COWP), which is what is in the calf boluses. You can get Copasure calf boluses from Jeffers and probably a few other places online. You break them apart and redistribute them in smaller capsules sized for goats. I generally give my ND does two grams and bucks four grams, because the boys seem to need more. Kids get one gram around four to six months. The wire particles gradually dissolve in their rumen, so it's like a time-released dose. I used to give them in capsules, but now I top-dress their feed. The "Copper" discussion has all sorts of ideas for being tricky about giving them to goats, but they'll eat their feed without even blinking when it has COWP sprinkled in it. They don't seem to notice.

If you're not sure whether or not a goat needs it, you could give her a dose without worrying about hurting her. If she was deficient, you should see some improvement in her coat. If it doesn't get softer or darker, then she probably didn't need it. Initially, I only gave it to does who were exhibiting obvious symptoms, and when I saw the improvement in them, I gave it to the other does and found that their coats got softer, so they obviously needed it also. And I asked my husband to tell me what he thought of the coats, because he didn't know who had been given copper and who had not. I'd put goats together who had received copper and who had not, and in every case, he said the goat who had been given copper had the softer coat.

On wormcontrol.org they talk about giving up to four doses a year to sheep and goats for control of internal parasites, so COWP is very safe, and there were no cases of toxicity when used in sheep or goats at 2 grams for adults and 1 gram for lambs/kids.

Melissa Johnson said:
and I would also ask is there a safe dosage amount as a "supplement" in addition to the free choice minerals?

Melissa Johnson October 10, 2010 at 3:32pm

ok, well maybe Illinois - ) on the goat dairy.......sigh...

Melissa Johnson said:

Dr. Pete Plescia - Creswell, OR - I still think I might bottle him ^^ ;)

Beth Keene said:
Who is this guy?....lol
Maybe he's not too far away for me
Yes, you definately want to hold on to those :)
I own the copper sulfate......it's unopened in the BIG box.....BUT would certainly choose to bolus first....if the need be.
The problwm is toxicity........Do you know how much mineral each goat eats......which ones chow it down and which ones barely touch it.....I don't .....too risky
If you don't like the idea of dosing the boluses.....I have friends who report great results with placing the co pasture either in peanut butter or marshmallows.
Same results and recent research claims its just as good.

Melissa Johnson October 10, 2010 at 3:21pm

Dr. Pete Plescia - Creswell, OR - I still think I might bottle him ^^ ;)

Beth Keene said:

Who is this guy?....lol
Maybe he's not too far away for me
Yes, you definately want to hold on to those :)
I own the copper sulfate......it's unopened in the BIG box.....BUT would certainly choose to bolus first....if the need be.
The problwm is toxicity........Do you know how much mineral each goat eats......which ones chow it down and which ones barely touch it.....I don't .....too risky
If you don't like the idea of dosing the boluses.....I have friends who report great results with placing the co pasture either in peanut butter or marshmallows.
Same results and recent research claims its just as good.

Melissa Johnson October 10, 2010 at 12:24pm

that's what I LOVE, a straight forward answer!! I will get the COWP

Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:

There are documented cases of toxicity when using copper sulfate, but not with copper oxide wire particles (COWP), which is what is in the calf boluses. You can get Copasure calf boluses from Jeffers and probably a few other places online. You break them apart and redistribute them in smaller capsules sized for goats. I generally give my ND does two grams and bucks four grams, because the boys seem to need more. Kids get one gram around four to six months. The wire particles gradually dissolve in their rumen, so it's like a time-released dose. I used to give them in capsules, but now I top-dress their feed. The "Copper" discussion has all sorts of ideas for being tricky about giving them to goats, but they'll eat their feed without even blinking when it has COWP sprinkled in it. They don't seem to notice.

If you're not sure whether or not a goat needs it, you could give her a dose without worrying about hurting her. If she was deficient, you should see some improvement in her coat. If it doesn't get softer or darker, then she probably didn't need it. Initially, I only gave it to does who were exhibiting obvious symptoms, and when I saw the improvement in them, I gave it to the other does and found that their coats got softer, so they obviously needed it also. And I asked my husband to tell me what he thought of the coats, because he didn't know who had been given copper and who had not. I'd put goats together who had received copper and who had not, and in every case, he said the goat who had been given copper had the softer coat.

On wormcontrol.org they talk about giving up to four doses a year to sheep and goats for control of internal parasites, so COWP is very safe, and there were no cases of toxicity when used in sheep or goats at 2 grams for adults and 1 gram for lambs/kids.

Melissa Johnson said:
and I would also ask is there a safe dosage amount as a "supplement" in addition to the free choice minerals?

Melissa Johnson October 10, 2010 at 12:21pm

no that's the thing. I have no idea how much they eat. I always keep it fresh in the feeder for them and see them crunch on it - if i hold the dish for them- it always taste better and is more desirable - but that's a once a day occurance. I am just afraid of killing my goats or giving them copper poisoning - I am afraid of hurting them with kindness. notice I didnt use the stronger version of that - I only have these 2 goats!! which I am going to breed this month. Not so sure about that either - March is still the monsoon here in Oregon - however, weather doesnt much improve before July 4th - sigh, why did I bring that up. -(

Beth Keene said:

Who is this guy?....lol
Maybe he's not too far away for me
Yes, you definately want to hold on to those :)
I own the copper sulfate......it's unopened in the BIG box.....BUT would certainly choose to bolus first....if the need be.
The problwm is toxicity........Do you know how much mineral each goat eats......which ones chow it down and which ones barely touch it.....I don't .....too risky
If you don't like the idea of dosing the boluses.....I have friends who report great results with placing the co pasture either in peanut butter or marshmallows.
Same results and recent research claims its just as good.

Beth Keene October 10, 2010 at 12:02pm

Who is this guy?....lol
Maybe he's not too far away for me
Yes, you definately want to hold on to those :)
I own the copper sulfate......it's unopened in the BIG box.....BUT would certainly choose to bolus first....if the need be.
The problwm is toxicity........Do you know how much mineral each goat eats......which ones chow it down and which ones barely touch it.....I don't .....too risky
If you don't like the idea of dosing the boluses.....I have friends who report great results with placing the co pasture either in peanut butter or marshmallows.
Same results and recent research claims its just as good.

Deborah Niemann-Boehle October 10, 2010 at 12:00pm

There are documented cases of toxicity when using copper sulfate, but not with copper oxide wire particles (COWP), which is what is in the calf boluses. You can get Copasure calf boluses from Jeffers and probably a few other places online. You break them apart and redistribute them in smaller capsules sized for goats. I generally give my ND does two grams and bucks four grams, because the boys seem to need more. Kids get one gram around four to six months. The wire particles gradually dissolve in their rumen, so it's like a time-released dose. I used to give them in capsules, but now I top-dress their feed. The "Copper" discussion has all sorts of ideas for being tricky about giving them to goats, but they'll eat their feed without even blinking when it has COWP sprinkled in it. They don't seem to notice.

If you're not sure whether or not a goat needs it, you could give her a dose without worrying about hurting her. If she was deficient, you should see some improvement in her coat. If it doesn't get softer or darker, then she probably didn't need it. Initially, I only gave it to does who were exhibiting obvious symptoms, and when I saw the improvement in them, I gave it to the other does and found that their coats got softer, so they obviously needed it also. And I asked my husband to tell me what he thought of the coats, because he didn't know who had been given copper and who had not. I'd put goats together who had received copper and who had not, and in every case, he said the goat who had been given copper had the softer coat.

On wormcontrol.org they talk about giving up to four doses a year to sheep and goats for control of internal parasites, so COWP is very safe, and there were no cases of toxicity when used in sheep or goats at 2 grams for adults and 1 gram for lambs/kids.

Melissa Johnson said:

and I would also ask is there a safe dosage amount as a "supplement" in addition to the free choice minerals?

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Hi Everybody :)

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