# balling gun - what size



## LuvmyGoaties (Mar 9, 2010)

I have tried giving copper to my goats many ways and they pick around it or spit it out any time I mix it into their food or put it in treats so I figured I would just just do it correctly with a balling gun. I am finding a hard time finding a small enough balling gun for the goat sized copper boluses. I bought a dog balling gun but it is plastic and I an afraid of the goats biteing it and breaking it. Does anyone hae a suggestion for a good goat balling gun?


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## LamanchaAcres (Jan 11, 2013)

We give our girls the multimen shot so i have no idea on a balling gun. Multimen has copper and a bunch of other stuff but you have to be careful with it becasue if given to much it can kill the animal.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Probably a metal balling gun for calves would work.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

I bought the small one from SantaCruz... but I just used it this last weekend and it wasn't easy. I have ND's so got the "kid" dosage boluses. They dont fit tight. It's also plastic... but seems pretty sturdy. 

Next time, I'm going to try my "tried & true" method I used for my cats & dogs. Get it in there, then follow with a shot of water out of a syringe. Forces them to swallow. Not sure it'll work on the goats (getting it IN there was half the battle!), but it works GREAT for other critters.


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## ksevern (Dec 12, 2012)

I bought the one from Santa Cruz and found that the barrel is too wide. Tried a plastic one from TSC and it was awkward. Found an online tip to wrap the copper in marshmallow and put it in the back of the goat's mouth, They like marshmallow, so they swallow it all! Will try this weekend.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

I just found a pill gun I used to use on rescue cats. The kid boluses fit like a charm! But I still might try the marshmallow trick. Still sounds easier.


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## mhoward2 (Jun 30, 2012)

I bought the pills for the kids and the adults. I have a balling gun for the adults but it will be too big for the kids. I plan to use a small 3ml syringe with the tip cut off for the kids. I will put the pill in the syringe and add yogurt. Hopefully it will work, it sounds like a good plan anyway! LOL


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## Kathy81 (Oct 16, 2012)

mhoward2 said:


> I bought the pills for the kids and the adults. I have a balling gun for the adults but it will be too big for the kids. I plan to use a small 3ml syringe with the tip cut off for the kids. I will put the pill in the syringe and add yogurt. Hopefully it will work, it sounds like a good plan anyway! LOL


I had the same issue with the small balling gun not being small enough. I found a really neat pill popper in the dog and cat section at the feed store it works great


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## Mimi of 13 (Jul 11, 2017)

We have a small balling gun and the copper bolus just falls out of it. We had heard to give the copper bolus wrapped in small pieces of bread and dip in molasses. We tried this.They chewed on it and spit it out. So i wrapped the bread around it to make the bolus fatter to fit the balling gun then used it like normal. It worked well for us.


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