# Free of Choice Copper *Pictures*



## Goat Crazy (Feb 8, 2010)

I just got some free of choice copper for my nigerians, but I was wondering do you think it would be okay just to let them have it free of choice?

It is 
90.00% Salt Min
95.00% Salt Max
Copper Sulfate 1.30%


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

*Re: Free of Choice Copper*

Not familiar with the free choice copper. :shrug: 
Can you add a link to product info or take photos?


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## Goat Crazy (Feb 8, 2010)

*Re: Free of Choice Copper*

Okay, I'll get a picture. 
A friend of mine gives it to her alpine goats and she no longer needs to bolus; but I know that copper sulfate boluses had been know to kill goats especially nigerians & pygmies. So I wasn't sure if it would be good to let them have all they want of this stuff. Its called Cu-mix I tried to find it online to show you, but I couldn't anything.


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## iddybit acres (Feb 18, 2011)

*Re: Free of Choice Copper*

This is what i found http://www.helfterfeeds.com/Dairycattle.html


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## Goat Crazy (Feb 8, 2010)

*Re: Free of Choice Copper*

Here are some pictures. Do you think its safe for pregnant goats with all that salt?


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I would offer a little not a lot until others chime in with opinions. It would be similar to a salt lick with copper. I know salt licks are fine for goats but being a lick it kinda limits the intake.


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

They need a lot of other minerals besides that. So you would need to also give them a loose goat mineral. Then there would be too much copper. This is a huge amount of copper to give them access to free choice, although I don't know how much of it gets absorbed. If you give them a mineral that is basically loose salt and also another mineral there is a chance they will only go for the salt and not get enough of the other minerals.  It's the salt they like mostly. The mineral I use has 1170 ppm of copper of which 174 are chelated copper. Some of that is copper sulfate and some is something called tri basic copper chloride (I suspect this is the chelated copper, but it is higher up on the ingredient list, so maybe not). I don't know which is which. The copper in your salt preparation is more than 10 times that if it is not chelated and nearly 100 times if it is. Generally speaking you can't detect an overdose of copper until the animal is dying from it, or you have the liver tested after the animal is dead. So overdosing is a really bad thing. 

The mineral I use is Ranch-O-Min, by Ranchway, it is only available in the West I think. I use it because it is what my vet uses, and he has had a big herd of dairy goats for decades. He has taught me a lot (and all the dairy goat people in our county pretty much) and I do what he says. But on their web page there is a list of the ingredients in this mineral formulation, so you can see what kind of minerals he recommends, at least for my area. He says most of the US is not particularly copper deficient, so you really need to know about your own space, and the places where your hay is grown. 

Jan


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## OhCee (Feb 26, 2010)

Without chelation- they really will only go through more water, eating all that salt. You need a goat/cattle mineral with chelated copper if you actually want to see results quickly. 

I'd throw that salt away/return it.


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## Goat Crazy (Feb 8, 2010)

They get manna pro minerals top dressed on their feed if they don't want it they don't eat it. I got this because they are really copper deficient and manna pro just doesn't have enough for them. My black goats are really red and everyone else has fish tails, losing hair around eyes and such. I am positive that they do not have lice/mites. My friend has a lot of free choice minerals besides the copper. I just wanted to get them some copper since they obviously need it. 
So should I just top dress it?


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## OhCee (Feb 26, 2010)

Just feeding them Copper =/= them USING the Copper.

Do you have a Vet who knows about ruminants who can talk to you about this?


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

That won't be enough copper intake to do much if anything...it's mainly salt. It will work good as a salt lick, but as far as copper...a loose goat specific mineral would be better. But to answer your question, yes, you can put that block out there free choice. They probably won't touch it to much...but if they start taking in to much of the block, you'll want to limit them. 

If your goats are copper deficient. It would be good to bolus them. There have been some great topics already posted on the forum if you wanted to look back in the "search" botton above for more information and threads on the topic.  :thumb:


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## Goat Crazy (Feb 8, 2010)

Well, the only reason I guess I haven't bloused them is I'm low on funds and I didn't want to spend 50+ couparse. I've only had three doe kids born one I'm keeping one I sold as a pet for $150 and the other one is to young to sell. Plus, I am getting the herd tested for CAE which isn't cheap, as I am sure you know.
I asked my friend if she had an extra bolus that I could buy from her. She said she didn't need to bolus anymore because she offered this free of choice and they were getting all they needed from it.

Ohcee, what is chelated copper exactly?


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

I need to get some copper boluses too - I am sure I can spare some once I do. I bought a couple from Stacy last year, used one for 3 ND but now I have 6, and only one capsule left.

although i need to find a place to get them I think. I went to Jeffer's site and they are out of the 12.5, indefinitely it says. I am pretty sure that is what I got from Stacy, maybe they are 25's? Anyone have suggestions on the best/cheapest place to buy? (i am sure i can find them cheap, but i hate trying new online stores b/c they aren't always reliable)


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## Coyote Night Acres (Dec 27, 2010)

www.valleyvet.com

We bought our copasure from there. It seems like it's more expensive, but you get free shipping and that has always made it less expensive for us in the end. We actually buy a lot of stuff from there and have used them for years and years.


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

Is it the 12.5 people usually use for the goats or the 25? (it was a large capsule with enough to do 3 NDs if that helps)

Never mind, i figured it out.
Their site is a bit misleading though, they say 'free freight' but only if your order is >$60. Luckily I needed some more eprinex for my chickens and the price looked comparable to what i had paid at TSC last time (in other words, super expensive)


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## Coyote Night Acres (Dec 27, 2010)

I use the 12.5, but I give a whole bolus to each goat (I have standards)


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## Goat Crazy (Feb 8, 2010)

I was looking at the manna pro minerals and it has Chleated copper in it, is that something they changed? I know that everyone has rated manna pro last, in minerals, but it does have 1300ppm of copper which is about 900ppm less then the others, but it is still a good amount of copper I thought.


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

Mine were on Manna Pro all along - and ended up copper deficient. I bolused them last year, and managed to get Purina goat minerals, but then people were raving about Right Now Onyx so i got that instead (with a little bit of pushing b/c the rep kept insisting it was for cattle only) They look better, although i think i may bolus them again. It almost seems like you have to bolus yearly plus give them the minerals - must be something lacking in the soil.

I keep thinking I should throw a piece of copper pipe in their water bucket to see if it helps


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

PznIvyFarm said:


> I keep thinking I should throw a piece of copper pipe in their water bucket to see if it helps


 Try a handful of pre-1976 pennies. They are already starting to oxidize and don't contain lead.


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

Darn, i just rolled like 19 years worth of pennies last summer......................


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

Okay, so someone was complaining about Jeffers not having Copasure - on indefinite backorder, so i order from Valley Vet, and order some Eprinex so I can get up to the minimum purchase for free shipping (i would need more Eprinex for the chickens in any case, but I can get it at TSC) and I get an email today saying they are shipping the Eprinex, but the copasure is on backorder from the manufacturer. 

so anyone that has it now, it's a valuable commodity :wink:


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