copper deficiency

rocky bilboa

Hello all
was wondering what peoples experience of the different ways of treating copper deficiency are, be it bolus or dose. I am farming store to beef so animals only a winter and summer on farm. Had cattle blood tested for copper at last test and they are showing quite a low copper deficiency which I'm told can be a 10% cut in thrive. People selling doses will tell you boluses are either thrown up by animal or can be found whole (as in not absorbed) in animal the day they are killed, and people selling boluses tell me doses only last a short length of time. I do have some fields that are molybdenum which I think can require different treatment. Anyhow peoples experience and advice appreciated
tia rocky

blue5000

High Mo here locking up copper. Everything gets a bolus except stock bulls, they'll have to wait until I get a head scoop.

KatyMac

I had that problem with suck calves a couple of years ago. My black angus calves were actually turning red. I put out mineral licks which worked extremely well. It's a handy enough 'fix it'.

reilig

Fertility issue with some cattle this year due to copper deficiency. Using cleated copper in the cattle drinkers at the moment which is both very cost effective and very easy to administer.

bbam

reilig wrote: »

Fertility issue with some cattle this year due to copper deficiency. Using cleated copper in the cattle drinkers at the moment which is both very cost effective and very easy to administer.

Is that from mayo healthcare, or are tere better value products out there?

whelan1

reilig wrote: »

Fertility issue with some cattle this year due to copper deficiency. Using cleated copper in the cattle drinkers at the moment which is both very cost effective and very easy to administer.

are they the ones you put in a net in the drinker?

reilig

Mayo healthcare. The ones in the net! 40 euro for 200 tablets. One tablet per cow per week. Don't even use the net - just drop them into the drinker and keep adding to it every week!

whelan1

reilig wrote: »

Mayo healthcare. The ones in the net! 40 euro for 200 tablets. One tablet per cow per week. Don't even use the net - just drop them into the drinker and keep adding to it every week!

ye we used them last year

Robson99

Put a small bit of Bluestone in the water through. The most cost effective way

Sami23

Robson99 wrote: »

Put a small bit of Bluestone in the water through. The most cost effective way

When you say 'a small bit' how much per cow and how often ?
Thanks

Robson99

We would put about an egg cup full into each water tank once a month. This would be for approx 30 cattle. Give the water a stir when passing to keep it mixed

adne

Robson99 wrote: »

We would put about an egg cup full into each water tank once a month. This would be for approx 30 cattle. Give the water a stir when passing to keep it mixed

What size is the water tank?

Robson99

approx 200ltr.

rocky bilboa

Have a river running through centre of farm for water so cant use those mineral pellets, has anyone any experience with copper cobalt dose? Was talking to a crowd called natural nutrition at the ploughing who tell me to dose with their product in autumn at housing and at spring before turnout.

PatQfarmer

rocky bilboa wrote: »

Hello all
was wondering what peoples experience of the different ways of treating copper deficiency are, be it bolus or dose. I am farming store to beef so animals only a winter and summer on farm. Had cattle blood tested for copper at last test and they are showing quite a low copper deficiency which I'm told can be a 10% cut in thrive. People selling doses will tell you boluses are either thrown up by animal or can be found whole (as in not absorbed) in animal the day they are killed, and people selling boluses tell me doses only last a short length of time. I do have some fields that are molybdenum which I think can require different treatment. Anyhow peoples experience and advice appreciated
tia rocky

There was a thread on this a while ago.
I use Glanbia Beef bucket-licks.
The Purple ones are high in Cu. I have high-MO soil as well, so copper locked up. Buckets work well, but are €18 each (20kg I think).
All AAX here too and some of them stay with browny coat for a while when young. Grow out of it by yearling stage, but buckets follow them around the paddocks.

reilig

PatQfarmer wrote: »

There was a thread on this a while ago.
I use Glanbia Beef bucket-licks.
The Purple ones are high in Cu. I have high-MO soil as well, so copper locked up. Buckets work well, but are €18 each (20kg I think).
All AAX here too and some of them stay with browny coat for a while when young. Grow out of it by yearling stage, but buckets follow them around the paddocks.

I stopped buying those buckets. 10 cows and 10 calves were able to have it gone within a week. They're €20 per bucket around here. Awful expensive game for a week's worth of minerals.

ABlur

reilig wrote: »

I stopped buying those buckets. 10 cows and 10 calves were able to have it gone within a week. They're €20 per bucket around here. Awful expensive game for a week's worth of minerals.

I'm the same have 9 bullocks and they can finish one off in two days if weather wet! Are those tablets you mentioned widely available or do you buy direct froayo healthcare?

Muckit

reilig wrote: »

I stopped buying those buckets. 10 cows and 10 calves were able to have it gone within a week. They're €20 per bucket around here. Awful expensive game for a week's worth of minerals.

Ya most of it is molasses.

I have yet to make one, but i was at a beef walk before and the lad had an empty one of those lick buckets bolted into two car tyres stacked one on top of the other. He then shook a scoop of loose mineral into it every day he went herding. Thought it a good one. No molasses, so they'I only lick what they need it. He's no daw, this lad is one of the top charolais breeders in the country, had cattle at tullamore/ploughing etc. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for a gom like me!

Looking on net, there are a few US lads that make them out of a blue barrel stood upright and bolted into a lorry/tractor tyre. they then cut a hole out of the side. Might be a better job to stop mineral getting wet, but then harder to move around!

hugo29

reilig wrote: »

Mayo healthcare. The ones in the net! 40 euro for 200 tablets. One tablet per cow per week. Don't even use the net - just drop them into the drinker and keep adding to it every week!

used them as well,
you wouldnt be afraid of cattle swallowing the tablets

net is a pain and u usually find it in the field beside the drinker

reilig

ABlur wrote: »

I'm the same have 9 bullocks and they can finish one off in two days if weather wet! Are those tablets you mentioned widely available or do you buy direct froayo healthcare?

Connacht Gold have them or you can buy online from Magenta direct

F.D

Do you find the cattle refuse water or drink less than they should with the tablets in the drinkers???
we tried the lick buckets as well but there's always a greedy one that will get the most of it

Also Is there somewhere on line you can check to see if your area is High molybdenum ? Offaly especially
We have soil tests done etc where it says we need to spread lime but theres never any mention if we are in a high molybdenum area or not

reilig

hugo29 wrote: »

used them as well,
you wouldnt be afraid of cattle swallowing the tablets

net is a pain and u usually find it in the field beside the drinker

Sure even if the do swallow the tabs, they won't choke on them. If they were poisonous, you wouldn't exactly want to be putting them into drinkers?

reilig

F.D wrote: »

Do you find the cattle refuse water or drink less than they should with the tablets in the drinkers???
we tried the lick buckets as well but there's always a greedy one that will get the most of it

They never refuse water. Each animal has to drink a certain amount of water every day. Bigger cattle drink more than smaller cattle. Therefore they get more minerals.

reilig

Muckit wrote: »

Ya most of it is molasses.

I have yet to make one, but i was at a beef walk before and the lad had an empty one of those lick buckets bolted into two car tyres stacked one on top of the other. He then shook a scoop of loose mineral into it every day he went herding. Thought it a good one. No molasses, so they'I only lick what they need it. He's no daw, this lad is one of the top charolais breeders in the country, had cattle at tullamore/ploughing etc. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for a gom like me!

Looking on net, there are a few US lads that make them out of a blue barrel stood upright and bolted into a lorry/tractor tyre. they then cut a hole out of the side. Might be a better job to stop mineral getting wet, but then harder to move around!

I agree. But how do you control what each animal gets? A greedy fecker could eat half of it. A cow that didn't like it might eat none (Although I have never seen a cow that didn't like bagged minerals)

hugo29

reilig wrote: »

Sure even if the do swallow the tabs, they won't choke on them. If they were poisonous, you wouldn't exactly want to be putting them into drinkers?

true:D but some things are only poisonous in large amounts

must dump the net and drop the tabs into drinker direct,

ever use the block that you can mount on top of the dividing gates in the shed, also from Mayo Healthcare

Muckit

reilig wrote: »

I agree. But how do you control what each animal gets? A greedy fecker could eat half of it. A cow that didn't like it might eat none (Although I have never seen a cow that didn't like bagged minerals)

I'm not saying it's better than tabs in the water. I've never tried it personally but like what u say the greedy one could get it all. I suppose still have to be better than the lick!

leg wax

lads if you have a copper problem the cheapest product is injection, in job done, went with it in the spring born calves 5 weeks ago and you would swear it was growth promotors they got,all calves will get it from here on in, yet another injection but very cheap.

patsy_mccabe

(Not to start a new thread, so I'll add to this one)

We've always injected with copper here in the springtime. The problem is a lot of the suckler cows are already in calf. I remember reading somewhere that injecting with copper can lead to abortion in early pregnancy.
Anyone know anything about this?

I don't want to give boluses. Too stressful on man and beast.

alps

Why not put a teaspoon of copper sulphate (bluestone) in the drinking troughs every time the cows are due in the field.
Cheapest, easiest old fashioned way if doing it..

Plus you'll get rid if any fish in the tank....

bullnuts

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

(Not to start a new thread, so I'll add to this one)

We've always injected with copper here in the springtime. The problem is a lot of the suckler cows are already in calf. I remember reading somewhere that injecting with copper can lead to abortion in early pregnancy.
Anyone know anything about this?

I don't want to give boluses. Too stressful on man and beast.

Never heard about injection causing abortion! I also find 6 ml of copper really turns them inside out ! Some come up with a lump at the injection site but I'm used of seeing it now !

Bullocks

Maybe Greysides could clarify but I think our vet said the injection is only good for 6 weeks, our cows don't like to see you hovering around the neck now after a few shots ! Are people using the minerals in the water or finding them working well ?