Barakah Farm Site Staff

Copper revisited, and a bit more about chelates and compounds for you science folks
by Carrie Eastman

http://theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/Samples/029.28/index.s15.html

In order to talk about supplementing goats with copper, let’s first understand what copper is.
Copper is a metal element, important for many functions in the body.
Copper can exist in several forms.
Elemental copper Cu is copper all by itself and very reactive
Copper compounds are copper bonded to other elements, such as copper sulfate or copper oxide.
Copper can also bond to protein, making copper proteinate.
Finally, copper can form a true chelate with amino acids.  A true chelate is defined by low molecular weight, one bond ionic and one covalent, and the electrical charge neutralized.  You can learn more about the science of chelation at http://www.albionnutritionalfacts.com/index.php/knowledge-base/about-knowledge-base/33-knowledge-base/about-chelated-minerals/59-vitamins-minerals-chelates-what-s-the-difference?

The next important point to realize is that the body has the ability to chelate minerals that are ingested.  Chelation happens in the liver.   This process takes time and energy and amino acid resources, and is not always completed for every elemental metal that makes it into the system.

So, having established some of the basics, let’s circle back to how copper gets into a goat.
First the goat eats something containing copper.  This would include copper boluses.

• If the goat ate elemental copper Cu, which is very reactive and unlikely to exist without being bonded, then the elemental copper will either react with ingredients in the gut, preventing absorption, or would be absorbed .
• If the goat ate a copper compound (for example copper oxide Cu2O) or copper proteinate, the copper is split away from whatever it is bonded to in the gut during digestion.  This splitting leaves behind elemental copper to react or be absorbed.  (Cu2O is split into Cu and oxygen)
• If the goat ate amino acid chelated copper, the copper is not highly reactive and does not have to be split apart.  The copper can be easily absorbed.

*Now remember, elemental copper Cu is very reactive.  It is just as likely to react with ingredients in the gut as it is to absorb.  The only copper stable enough to resist reacting with other items in the gut and be absorbed is amino acid chelated copper.

Absorption takes place place through the mucosa that lines the digestive tract, into the blood stream or into the lymph.

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~smills/ANSC230/Digestive%20Physiology/Absorption.html

The lymph and blood carry the minerals and nutrients to the liver.

The liver regulates copper levels in the bloodstream, as well as stores copper reserves for times when copper supply is low.  If the liver has more copper than is needed, the extra copper is excreted in the bile and passes out of the body in the feces.  The liver also bonds the elemental copper to proteins, mainly ceruloplasmin, and also albumin and some other proteins.  Copper MUST be bonded to a protein by the liver to be used by the body after it is absorbed from the digestive tract.

Remember, elemental copper that isn’t bonded is very reactive.  Copper that isn’t bonded to a protein floats free in the bloodstream, and because it has a positive charge and is reactive, it causes oxidative stress (think internal rust) or it looks for something to bond with and then deposits in unintended locations, especially the brain and reproductive organs.  Bonding elemental copper to ceruloplasmin takes energy, the correct supply of amino acids, and depends on the reactive elemental making it to the liver without reacting with something it meets along the way.  Not all elemental copper will make it to the liver to be bonded to ceruloplasmin.

All copper that makes it into the gut and is absorbed will either be absorbed as an amino acid chelate, highly stable and ready to use, or will be absorbed as a very reactive elemental copper  Cu molecule.

So the form of the copper ingested determines whether or not the copper can be absorbed and how easily it is absorbed.

The health of the liver then determines whether the absorbed copper is used for health, or creates toxic issues in the body.

In nature, goats eat copper in a variety of compounds and chelates and generally do just fine.  So why do goats get into trouble with copper toxicity?  Because goats in nature are not being fed large quantites of copper compounds as happens with domestic goats being fed feeds and supplements containing these compounds.

Copper supplementation for goats is still a topic of much debate and discussion, and there has been less research than on the copper needs of sheep, cattle and horses.  In Europe, copper needs for dairy goats have been established.

Here are some key points I have found out about copper.  I am not listing all the various citations after each point.  You can google the topics and find citations to back up any of these statements, unless otherwise indicated:

• The form of copper is critical.  Copper oxides are very hard to absorb and use.  Copper sulfates are more absorbable.  Copper proteinate is even more absorbable.  Copper amino acid chelate is the most absorbable.  Amino acid chelated copper also catalyzes the uptake of the more unabsorbable forms.  Amino acid chelated copper is the only form of copper that does not have to be broken apart in the gut into elemental copper Cu.
• Other minerals can inhibit or enable copper uptake.  What you feed the copper with is just as important as the copper itself, and this includes your water, pasture, hay and grain.
• Iron is a copper inhibitor.  If you live in an area of high iron soil, you are more likely to need additional copper.
• Zinc is also closely tied to copper, and to iron.  As is sulfur.  All minerals are connected.  Focusing on just one will drive you crazy, and leave your goats with too much or too little of something.
• Goats need more copper than sheep.  Feeding a supplement designed for sheep will lead to copper deficiency and health issues.
• Goats likely need as much copper as cattle, possibly more.
• Copper has the potential to accumulate in the liver, and if the animal is stressed, release suddenly causing a severe health crisis.

Some thoughts on the research establishing copper requirements in goats:

• The research should consider the form the copper is in, as some forms are more likely to accumulate rather than flush from the body.
• Mineral interactions are so complex, can one mineral truly be isolated in a study?

Here are several links I found:
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/copperdeficiency.html
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/178381/goat-copper.pdf
http://notesongoats.com/feeding/copper.html
http://sheepandgoat.com/news/Summer2008.html#Cu

So, all of this being said, what I have chosen to do at Barakah for our goats is based on all of the information above, plus anecdotal information from various goat keepers, combined with muscle testing to tailor the nutrition to my herd and environment.

If you would like to learn to muscle test, please look at our online classes coming in early 2019.

You can find the Dynamite products at www.dynamitemarketing.com/carrieeastman 

Copyright ©2016 Carrie Eastman.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or American Veterinary Medical Association, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult your veterinarian about any changes to your animal’s health program.

Salt For Goats
by Carrie Eastman

Salt.
One of the key supplements for goats.
And so often misused, underused, overused, or used in ways the goats cannot utilize.
So, let’s learn about salt.

First, when folks say salt, the mineral that is really being referred to is sodium.  Salt is sodium chloride NaCl.  Sodium is very reactive, and never found in nature by itself as Na.  When salt is eaten, the body splits the sodium and chloride apart.  For you science-minded folks, here is a sodium link for more details.

Salt is critical for good health.  Salt is used to maintain the fluid and mineral balance between the outside and the inside of the cells in the body.  Inside the cell potassium is higher and outside sodium is higher.  Salt levels in the blood drop as the body transmutes sodium to potassium to maintain that balance.  The salt the goats eat restores the blood salt levels and keeps the cells balanced.

Salt also activates the first digestive enzyme in the mouth, salivary amylase. In the parietal cells of the stomach wall, sodium chloride generates hydrochloric acid, one of the most important of all digestive secretions.

This delicate balance between sodium and potassium in the body is the reason that salt should not be force fed or withheld.  Allowing goats to choose how much to consume each day lets them maintain their sodium balance.  How much salt is enough salt for a goat?  Well, that really depends on the goat, the diet, the current temperature, stress levels, etc.  Basically, the goat will eat as much or as little as is necessary for good health.  Sometimes that is just a nibble.  Sometimes that can be some very large quantities, ounces per day.  So it is very important to provide plenty of fresh water, and to provide salt that is not mixed with other supplements, feed or additives that could limit or artificially encourage consumption.

Salt is often added to feed and supplement mixes.  And you will see two different listings on the guaranteed analysis.  A sodium Na listing and a salt NaCl listing.  This is done to account for sodium that may be in the feed as other sodium compounds.  You can read more about sodium compounds here.  Salt is sometimes used to make feeds taste better.  And manufacturers sometimes hide high salt levels by listing the salt multiple times in the ingredient list, such as listing salt, then further down listing sodium chloride.  Generally speaking, unless the products IS a salt supplement, you should not see salt showing up in the top 5 ingredients.

Salt supplements are available as blocks or loose.  Salt comes in white, pink, gray, tan or minerals-added.

First, the problems with blocks.
Much of the problem lies with the goats’ tongues.  Goats have smooth tongues.  Like a horse.  Cows on the other hand have very rough tongues.  Goats, even more than horses, are unable to get sufficient salt from solid blocks.  A cow can lick a salt block and sandpaper off a day’s supply of salt.  Failing to lick enough salt off a block, a horse or goat will bite the block to break off chunks.  Biting those blocks has the potential to injure the temporomandibular joint, also known as the tmj, the joint where the jaw is connected to the skull.  The tmj is the only paired joint in the body, and critical for proper spinal alignment, which in turn affects thousands of nerves located at the first few vertebrae of the neck.

The tmj is the area around “A” where the mandible is tucked under the zygomatic arch. http://instruction.cvhs.okstate.edu/vmed5412/Lect013.htm

Another good diagram of a goat skull showing the tmj.  http://www.goatbiology.com/animations/skullside.html

So, chewing salt blocks is not healthy for goats.

Additionally, many blocks are formed using binding agents.  Binding agents are an unneccesary and potentially unhealthy addition to the goats’ diet.  The exception to the binding agents are the pink Himalayan chunks.  Blocks often also have flavoring or coloring added.  Mineral blocks also have minerals added.  The minerals will be non-chelated and not easily absorbed or excreted.  To learn more about chelated and non-chelated minerals go to Albion minerals.

Loose salt on the other hand allows goats to consume as much salt as needed without stressing the tmj or adding binding agents to the diet.

Not all loose salts are equal though.  First of all, loose salt should clump with the weather is humid.  Salt that does not clump has been treated with flow enhancers or anti-caking agents.  Common additives are ferrocyanide, yellow prussiate of soda, tricalcium phosphate, alumino-calcium silicate, sodium alumino-silicate.  Beyond their potential toxicity, these additives prevent salt from mixing with water in the body.

Natural salt is never white.  Natural salt colors are tan, gray or pink.  White salt has been bleached.  ‘Nuff said about that.

Salt is either mined from the ground or made by evaporating sea water.  The issue with sea salt is that the oceans have become fairly polluted.  Radiation, heavy metals, and industrial pollution are all found in the world’s oceans today.  Mined salt typically comes from old deposits, laid down before pollution was an issue.  That being said, a reputable salt company tests it’s salt for contaminants and can provide an analysis upon request.

So now that we have determined that healthy salt for goats should be loose, unbleached, with no additives and from a mine, what salt brands are good to use?

I personally either use my favorite pink salt or Redmond salt.  There are other excellent brands out there.  Just follow the basic rules of selecting a good salt.

Want to learn more health tips, like why you should avoid garden hoses or black rubber buckets for goats?  Teleclasses starting this month!  Recorded for playback and download.  See website for details.
http://www.carrieeastman.com/Teleclasses—Video-Classes.html

Copyright ©2016 Carrie Eastman.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or American Veterinary Medical Association, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult your veterinarian about any changes to your animal’s health program.

Adding Muscle & Fat To Goats
by Carrie Eastman

Folks talk about putting weight on a goat. First let’s talk about what they really mean. Adding weight can mean adding fat, or can mean adding muscle. The strategies for adding fat or adding muscle are different.

Adding fat: Goats store fat under the skin (subcutaneous) and in the abdominal cavity (visceral fat). Goat do not develop marbled meat when they gain fat. Increasing fat weight means adding fat under the skin and in the abdominal cavity. To add fat to a goat, you feed more calories that the goat is burning. The most concentrated calorie sources are grains (carbohydrates) and fats. High-carbohydrate low-fat grains like corn, oats and barley produce an insulin spike while the body digests them, then the body actually spends energy to convert the extra calories into fat stores. Large grain meals also have the potential to create digestion problems such as acidosis and enterotoxemia . Fatty grains, nuts and oils are digested and used more slowly for energy, and are more easily converted by the body into fat stores. Looking at the diet of wild goats, or foraging domestic goats, the diet is generally low in carbohydrates and sugars, and also fairly low in fats, except for seeds and nuts. Black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) are about 40% fat. However, the fats in BOSS are mostly omega-6 fats, which can cause inflammation in the body. BOSS is also very high in phosphorus, so a free-choice mineral buffet or very careful ration balancing is necessary.  I have fed 100 pound goats anywhere from a handful to a cup of BOSS daily.  BOSS can be fed dry, soaked or sprouted. Soybeans are typically around 8% fat, and a moderate fat source. The omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in soybeans is more balanced and less likely to cause inflammation.  I use a cold-extruded soybean pellet and feed just a handful to a 100 pound goat.  More can be safely fed, though even a full-size Boer show goat should not need more than a cup daily.  My preferred soybean pellets can be fed dry or soaked.  Chia seeds are about 31% fat and have an excellent omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. (The drawback to chia is the expense.) Chia is fed by the ounce (very roughly 2 tablespoons).  One ounce daily for a 100 pound goat should be sufficient, although more can be given.  I prefer to feed chia dry, rather than soaked.  Alfalfa, at only 2% fat, is a less-efficient calorie source.  Goats will also forage for wild nuts if given the option.  Some wild nuts like acorns will be very high in tannins.  While tannins do have some effect on parasites, too much tannin can be toxic, so make sure your goats cannot gorge on the wild nuts.

Adding muscle: Proteins are used to build muscle. Proteins are chains of amino acids. Of the 22 amino acids, 10 are important for muscle building, with lysine, threonine and arginine being most important. Lysine is highest in soybeans and alfalfa, making those feeds the best way to bring up the protein level and build muscle. Soybean is 26% protein minimum and alfalfa can range from 15-25% protein depending on maturity. Black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) are about 22% protein, but are low in lysine and the other muscle-building amino acids, so BOSS is not the best muscle building option. Chia seeds are 23% protein and high in lysine and would be great for adding muscle. Rice bran and rice bran pellets are high in lysine. However, rice bran may have solvent residue from the oil extraction process and rice is the most polluted grain crop right now. Rice is heavily irrigated, and picks up the pollutants in the irrigation water and from the soils, including heavy metals like lead and cadmium. All rice has been found to have arsenic (horse dealers used to feed arsenic to make the horses fat and shiny, and the horses would then quickly lose weight and die after being sold). Another good source of muscle-building proteins are supplements with high amino acid content, like regular formula horse Dynamite.

Now here is where it gets really interesting. The quality of soybeans, alfalfa, BOSS and grains can vary considerably. In the case of soybeans, the majority of soybeans sold in the US today are genetically modified, also called GMO. GMOs are a controversial topic, and each goat person must do their own research and make their own decision. For myself, I feel there are enough studies available now showing the harm GMOs can cause, especially to the very important gut organisms, that I will not feed any GMO products. Soybeans need to be heat treated before feeding as well, to a fairly specific temperature. Too hot, and you reduce the nutritional value. Too cool and the trypsin inhibitors are still active, which makes the soybean toxic. Additionally, most soybean in livestock feed these days is soybean meal, which means the oils have been solvent-extracted. This reduces the fat content and potentially leaves behind a solvent residue.

Alfalfa has also recently become available as a GMO crop and has the same potential drawbacks as other GMO crops.

BOSS is sometimes treated to inhibit sprouting, either by cooking or with chemical sprays. If in doubt, soak a handful and see if they sprout in a couple days. Healthy BOSS suitable for feeding should sprout.

Among the grains, oats and barley are still fairly chemical-free and not yet available as GMOs. Barley does need to be rolled to remove the pointy awn at the end of the seed. The quality of barley and oats depends on the health of the soil they are grown in. Look for large, heavy plump grains, and if possible, check with the local farmer to see what sort of fertilizer program is followed. The standard N-P-K approach to fertilizer does not put sufficient minerals back into the soil.

Corn is almost entirely GMO at this point. ‘Nuff said. Look for organic corn, or heirloom corn varieties.

Calf manna is a popular feed these days for goats. The label tells an interesting story. The first ingredient is soybean meal (byproduct of solvent extraction soybean oil process), not whole heat-treated soybeans. The second ingredient is corn, followed by hominy feed, which is processed corn. All of which will be GMO.  Calf manna also contains flax, which can be a thyroid inhibitor.

So, what do I feed to my goats to build muscle or add body fat?

I use a combination of a pelleted grain ration and cold-extruded soybean pellets. The grain ration contains corn, oats and barley. The company avoids GMOs, and their grain mill is entirely chemical-free. The whole extruded non-GMO soybean pellets are cooked to the correct temperature. I also feed locally-grown non-GMO alfalfa, and BOSS. The pelleted grain ration also contains montmorrillonite clay as a pellet binder, which helps absorb any environmental toxins and also repels internal parasites. I also offer my goats a pinch of my favorite regular vitamin/mineral  pellets for horses, which is high in amino acids.

If I did not have access to these specific products, I would feed local organic roasted soybeans or chia seeds (to build muscle) and BOSS (for the fats), and add oats, barley and/or organic or heirloom feed corn as needed. I would mill in or topdress montmorrillonite clay. I would also make 10% of their daily hay ration non-gmo alfalfa hay. If I still needed to build more muscle, I would also add a multivitamin mineral supplement with lysine, threonine and arginine.

www.dynamitemarketing.com/carrieeastman
www.equinechia.com

Want to learn how to muscle test or dowse for which fat source best suits your own goats?
Interested in more information about feed label interpretation?

Copyright ©2016 Carrie Eastman.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or American Veterinary Medical Association, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult your veterinarian about any changes to your animal’s health program.