What is Copper Deficiency in Goats? How do I treat it?

It is reported that copper helps with the development of the central nervous system, bone growth and the overall health of your goat.

It is also said to help with worms by making the conditions unfavorable in the rumen and mineral absorption.

All the Boer, Mini Nubian and Nigerian goats we have ever owned needed to be copper bolused. Our soil in NC is copper deficient and goat needs copper. Most people recommend that you do this every 6 months but we bolus every 3 months here at Cotton Bean Goat Farms in Mt. Pleasant, NC. We have also used small .5mg doses as a worm preventative in some of our goats. Be sure to check you states soil map to see what your local soil conditions are.

Signs of Copper Deficiency:

Have your noticed your young Boer goat not gaining weight or not interested in eating. Id your Mini Nubian goat showing signs of decreased milk productions, become anemic or even gotten diarrhea. Has your Nigerian goat gotten a fish tail or their coat is rough or not the same color it once was.

Feed goat mineral to your herd:

Be sure to offer goat mineral to your Boer herd free choice. Goat minerals contain copper and most other minerals do not. Free choice means that they have it available at all time to eat.

Copper Bolus Schedule:

We give our goats copper bolus 3 times a year. I do have a few goats that need it 4 times a year. It's just what works for us in Mt. Pleasant, NC. You should always evaluate your individual goats needs.

How to Bolus with a pill gun::

We​ just put our copper bolus pill in a fig newton and our goat eat it without thinking about it. People also use banana's, peanut butter sandwich's, fig newtons, etc. We do empty the pill out for our younger / baby goats.

We use Ultra Cruz for our Mini Nubian goats kids and adult goats alike.

**We are not a vet Please consult your vet with any questions.* We are just sharing our personal experiences with our goat herd.