It can be a bit strange to think of the elements many living things need in their diets.
When it comes to goats, we think of them as quite hardy creatures who can digest tough matter.
But ultimately, they are still gentle herbivores and grazers, and they eat soft plant matter.
We forget, though, the complexity of the plant matter they eat.
Plants contain a huge plethora of natural elements, and one of them you often here about in relation to goats is copper.
You may be wondering about the need for copper in a goat’s diet.
So, can goats have copper?
Yes, goats can have copper in their diet, and it is a very important part of their diet. however, copper poisoning on an overdose is, in very many cases, fatal. Knowing how to strike the balance is quite important, then. Too little and too much are both quite bad.
Copper is often a point of concern because goats need a lot more copper than other, somewhat similar animals like sheep.
However, they are equally susceptible to copper poisoning, so knowing your stuff in this particular area is really important.
Let’s look further into this.
Is copper toxic to goats?
In very large amounts, yes, copper is toxic.
Most minerals indeed are, since they are only required by the body in quite small quantities.
Copper, however, is particularly bad for a number of reasons.
Copper poisoning has for a long time been a serious problem for farmers of many animals.
When copper is found in excessive amounts in the goat’s body, it begins to build up in the liver as it cannot be passed through quickly enough.
When it builds up, it starts doing damage to the liver, continuing to accumulate in toxic amounts.
Once the liver is overwhelmed, the onset of disease can be sudden and severe.
Other toxins that cannot be processed by the liver accumulate in the system, and the whole blood system has a tougher time.
Treatment of this poisoning is very difficult, and the animal, more often than not, perishes despite treatment.
All of this said, copper is nonetheless an important part of your goat’s diet.
It’s an essential mineral for the functioning of their bodies, and in fact they need a great deal more than comparative animals like sheep.
So, while knowing that copper is potentially toxic in the wrong amounts is vital, knowing that it is essential to their diet in the right amounts is equally important.
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How much copper is too much for a goat?
There is an upper and lower level on the amount of copper that a goat should have in its diet.
They can be difficult to quantify in a way that makes immediate sense, since it is only a trace mineral—it’s a very, very small amount in their overall diet.
The minimum is considered to be 10 parts per million of the overall copper in their diet. anything close to, and certainly over, 80 is considered toxic and will lead to an accumulation of copper in the goat’s liver.
So, be careful to know the levels in the feedstuffs you’re giving to them, both free choice and limit fed.
Do your best to monitor what they eat free of choice, and the sources that the copper comes from.
Like I say, it’s not necessarily that easy to make sense of without experience of such measurements, but it’s a vital part of being a goat keeper.
Too much, and they stand a real risk of death.
Too little, and they can be severely nutrient deficient.
Take no chances and be sure you know the copper levels in your goat’s diet as precisely as you can.
What does copper do for goats?
Copper may only be a trace mineral in the diet, but it plays a big role in the goat’s body overall.
Broadly speaking, it is most important for the healthy functioning of the immune system.
Copper is essential for proper production of antibodies, which protect your goat against disease.
White blood cells, too, struggle to be formed in a copper deficient immune system.
Furthermore, the production of antioxidant enzymes is heavily dependent on copper content.
A copper deficient goat will have a reduced immune system, being much more susceptible to infection and even having a poorer response to vaccinations.
Can goats eat food with copper?
Yes, they can, if that has not already been made clear.
They need food with copper in it, though, again, in the precise amounts that they need it.
Too much or too little will both have negative effects on your goat’s health.
Goat feed will have trace amounts of copper in it, again, in the parts per million.
If you already keep something like sheep, then it’s really important that you recognize the differences in nutritional needs between these two animals.
Goats, comparatively speaking, need quite a lot of copper to be fully healthy.
So, you can’t just give them some all-purpose livestock feed—they need to be getting plenty of copper or they stand a serious risk of immune deficiency.
Copper is an important mineral in your goat’s diet, then.
It is vital to their overall health, and copper deficiencies can be a serious problem.
Don’t forget, though, that copper poisoning is even worse.
There are no shortcuts to knowing how much copper to give your goats.
You’ve got to be careful and diligent, knowing they’re getting the right amount and not too much.
Take your goat’s diet as seriously as you take your own!