Hoof Plex Footbath Concentrate is a copper sulfate based footbath that reduces the amount of copper sulfate by more than 80%. 1 gallon of Hoof Plex Footbath Concentrate is as effective as 50 pounds of copper sulfate. The biggest problem with traditional copper sulfate footbaths is the amount of copper that is discarded into the lagoons and eventually the fields. Copper is a very effective bacteriocide that kills the cause of hairy heel warts, but it also kills the desirable bacteria that allow a lagoon to degrade the solids rendering the lagoon in-effective. Copper is also a very effective herbicide when used in high enough concentrations. The application of copper laden waste water to agricultural field crops will result in decreased yields or even no production.
Hoof Plex Footbath has 80% less copper than traditional footbaths as well as a very small particle size that allows it to be absorbed by the cow better than traditional copper sulfate. With the increased absorption you gain increased effectiveness in treating the target bacteria. With more than an 80% reduction in copper the lagoon and field environments and more capable of handling the reduced copper load and remain active and viable. Studies have shown that the regular use of Hoof Plex has little to no effects on the lagoon or the agricultural fields.