# Copper ppm



## JN (Nov 4, 2011)

Hello. Can anyone tell me what the max copper ppm should be in a free choice loose mineral? I have Nubians. Thanks!


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## GinnyT (Sep 1, 2017)

There's no one correct answer for this. Varies by area, your water, etc. Anywhere from 1700 - 3,000 on the analysis tag. Even then some will still add copper wire particles.


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## hwbgoats (May 3, 2019)

In addition to ppm, there's also bioavailability to consider. Not all forms of copper are equal, so it matters what form the mineral has; and it can make a HUGE difference. 

Consider this, from an article put out by South Dakota State University Extension. "Not all mineral sources have the same bioavailability to the animal. For example, you could be using a trace mineralized salt block that contains 300 ppm Cu in the form of copper oxide, which has a relative bioavailability of 15% compared to Cu sulfate which has a bioavailability of 100%. This means that there is only about 45 ppm Cu available in this product. On the other hand, if the 300 ppm Cu was provided as Basic Copper Chloride, which has a relative bioavailability of 196% compared to Cu sulfate, the bioavailability is 588 ppm Cu. A product with Basic Copper Chloride provides more Cu to the animal than a product with Cu oxide or Cu sulfate."


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## hwbgoats (May 3, 2019)

Anyone else nerdy enough to want the link? I promise, the handy chart towards the bottom of the article makes it worth the read.
https://extension.sdstate.edu/cow-mineral-nutrition-reading-tag-bioavailability

Anyone else have tips or tricks to quickly assess how much of whatever mineral will be bioavailable?


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## GinnyT (Sep 1, 2017)

Copper sulfate can give a quick fix for severe deficiency, but need to be much more careful with dosing to avoid copper toxicity. Bioavailability not always a good thing. I like the slow release of copper oxide wire particles and little to no chance of overdose.


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## hwbgoats (May 3, 2019)

Agreed that one has to be very careful with copper sulfate. Just wanted to widen the conversation, because without considering bioavailability, a person might compare ppm's and think they're comparing apples to apples without understanding the caliber of difference different forms of minerals make. I made that mistake for years before understanding better :/.


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