Sheep Copper Toxicity

[@ahmed-DB7]

This Channel is underrated, It's a good source of information especially for beginners in the sheep and goat raising, Thank you Tim.

[@LinessaFarms]

Thank you for watching. We are glad to assist you and others in learning about sheep and goats!

[@nikkityson8170]

I have a book by Pat Colby called raising sheep naturally and she states that if you feed copper sulfate mineral add dolimite to it and so 1 tsp copper sulfate to 2 tsp dolomite and you will not have the toxic affects. Also her explanation is when they eat it the eggs wont hatch and it makes a very unfavorable environment for the adults and they exit the sheep and goats.

[@LinessaFarms]

You can get the same effect from the 1% copper sulfate solution without the increased risk. The dolomite, which is mostly magnesium and calcium, are minerals which are used by sheep, goats and other livestock. Mixing the dolomite and the copper sulfate would have no significant effect on the absorption or toxicity of the copper. Although, 1 tsp of copper sulfate for a sheep would probably not be enough to kill it. I don’t know Pat, so I won’t comment for or against her. I will tell you that there have been a lot of things said by her that have no evidenced based studies or science to back them up. We are constantly learning what works and what doesn’t and more importantly, why. When it comes to livestock, there are many things that have been done for years which work, but we either don’t know why, or only learned why many years later. In my personal opinion and based on my education, I would say, the copper sulfate would work but is safer in a 1% solution oral drench as shown by the University of Kentucky studies and bloodwork follow up. I would also say from a chemistry and physiology standpoint, the mixing of dolomite with the copper sulfate should not produce any results making it more or less toxic.

[@LinessaFarms]

For those of you who don’t know who this is: Pat Coleby was an Australian farmer and author known for her work and publications on natural animal health care, including the care of sheep and goats. Her approach to animal husbandry was holistic, emphasizing natural remedies and preventative care based on diet, supplements, and natural therapies. Coleby's experience and expertise were largely self-taught, derived from her own experiences in farming and animal care. She managed her own farm for many years, where she practiced and refined her methods. Her approach was often considered unconventional and emphasized the use of minerals and vitamins to prevent and treat animal health issues. She wrote several books on these topics, offering guidance on natural animal care for a variety of animals, including cows, horses, sheep, and goats. Her books cover a range of topics from nutrition to disease prevention and have been popular among some farmers and animal caretakers, especially those interested in more natural or holistic approaches to animal health. While Coleby's methods have been influential and appreciated by many in the farming community, it's important to note that her recommendations sometimes diverge from mainstream veterinary science. Pat was ahead of her time in many regards learning what did and did not appear to work regarding livestock husbandry and health. Unfortunately, in many cases, she did not understand why and most of her advise was based on anecdotal evidence.

[@jeansroses7249]

what are the natural sources of copper the animals the animals normally get with the foods they eat?

[@patrickmcginnis6898]

So let's say they injest "a bunch" of it, would their be a"concern" period before your "out of the woods"?

[@LinessaFarms]

Sheep have limited ability to excrete excess copper, and it can accumulate in their liver. If they ingest too much copper, it may take a long time for the body to naturally clear it, and in some cases, the damage may be irreversible. With this being said, it’s not an exact science. Even within a breed, there will be different levels of toleration. There is some evidence to support increased stress levels can have an effect on copper toxicity as well. Generally speaking, if they take in too much, they will die quickly/you will see signs rather quickly. Post mortem, the liver is the dead giveaway (no pun intended). I’ve seen the liver of a copper toxic sheep and it was almost completely yellow and the kidneys were so dark, they almost looked black.

[@lesliejacobs3002]

I got your supplement minerals. My 3 sheep are enjoying that free choice…Is plain salt needed in addition to the minerals free choice.?

[@LinessaFarms]

With our minerals, no. This should be given as the only mineral. Our minerals contain salt, selenium, and other vitamins. We do offer a free choice no phosphorus mineral as well for males. For those who want mineral plus coccidia meds, we also offer mineral plus Deccox. Clean water, mineral, and a tray of baking soda is about all you need. Some minerals from the big box store will tell you to offer salt as well, for future reference. Thank you for using our products and for taking the time to leave a kind message.

[@AgnesMariaL]

Thank you for this brief, yet informative video. I have researched copper, and apparently it's only sheep that can't tolerate much, but that cows and goats need extra... What I find curious is that the hay we feed our animals is the same, regardless of what animals we (as in, people in general) have. Like, my hay farmer feeds his sheep and cows the very same hay that the horse and goat people feed... I find it quite a conundrum that all these different animals with supposedly varying nutritional requirements are all thriving on the same food! Makes no sense to me 🤷‍♀️ I have heard of people mentioning "horse quality" hay, but have never found out what that means or how it differs from any other hay - like, is the horse stuff not meant for sheep and vice versa? I don't get it. But like I said, our local hay farmer has all kinds of animals living off his product, from sheep to horses and everything else.

[@denisrhodes54]

horse quality hay is a premium product. i used to sell it to quarter horse breeder and racer . pure alfalfa second or third cutting, no weeds, not stemmy, cut at peak growth stage, correct moisture, minimal drying and storage discoloration, preferred bale weight, size, density. it was $12/bale to the right buyer. the worse the bale, the lower the price and it went down the food chain. some bales were hard to sell for cow feed. people would get desperate towards the end of winter and would buy junk for $4/bale. goat hay was usually foxtail, grass, and other weeds $2/bale+

[@LinessaFarms]

Agreed. When we think of horse hay, we are usually thinking something high in alfalfa that is softer like second or third cutting. This can be a little too “hot” for sheep and goats and they can actually start spilling their cud if they aren’t used to it. We normally like to give a middle of the road hay that is a mix of grass and alfalfa or grass and clover. Most of our hay fields are a mix of grass, clover, alfalfa, and some birdsfoot trefoil. Thank you for taking the time to leave a nice response.

[@LinessaFarms]

Hay can vary widely in its nutritional value and palatability. We generally feed our sheep and goats a grass legume mix. There are some hays that a cow will devour that the sheep and goats don’t much care for. Oat hay is a good example. Sheep and goats tend to strip it and leave a lot of waste. Cows will clean it up rather well. As stated in the other response, good horse hay is usually mostly alfalfa and tends to be a second or third cutting. The later the cutting, the less steamy and softer the hay tends to be. First cutting will generally give you more material, but there tends to be a lot of stem. This isn’t “always” the case, but generally so.

[@AgnesMariaL]

@@LinessaFarms thanks for the replies! Our hay varies a lot, as our farmer cuts several different fields. The current bale I'm seeing a lot of dandelion flowers, whereas the previous bale had a lot of all-heal in it. So, looks like they're getting a lot of what they would naturally from "wild" pastures :)

[@AgnesMariaL]

@@denisrhodes54 Thanks, I'll make a point of planting a spot with just alfalfa next year for my horse :)

[@curtcarlson83]

I've used those mineral salt blocks and regular white salt blocks I put them both out in the pan with the sheep and goats and the sheep seem to lick them when they need to and then they just go to the white blocks I've never had a problem with the sheep getting copper toxicity I know that that Greg Judy puts out copper in those mineral things he has he puts different minerals in each box and one of them has copper and he says they'll only eat what they need but I've never had a problem when I had the mineral block out there along with the white block they only seem to lick the mineral block when they need to otherwise they're on the white block all the time

[@LinessaFarms]

If that works for you, keep doing what you’re doing.