An essentially dry powdered preparation containing a calcium source for
the prevention and treatment of calcium deficiency conditions in mammals,
e.g. dairy cows, is enclosed in a substantially water soluble,
dispersible or disintegrable casing mainly composed of a cellulose
material such as e.g. paperboard, cardboard, millboard, or pasteboard, or
a gelatinized starch material. The calcium source is preferably a mixture
of calcium chloride and calcium propionate enclosed in a cylindrical
paperboard or cardboard tube or a gelatinized starch shell closed at both
ends, which is administered to an animal with a bolus or bullet gun. The
administration is safe and clean and the powdered mixture is quickly
released in the stomach or rumen without causing erosion, irritation or
inflammation of the mucosa.