Herbal Remedies - All Natural Medicine for Your Chickens and for You

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By Amber of Drexel, MO

* The following recipes use measurements for dried herbs unless otherwise specified. If you wish to use fresh herbs, use half the specified amount.

Example: If a recipe calls for 2 tsp dried basil and you want to use fresh you would use 1 tsp fresh basil. The oils are not concentrated in the dried as herbs lose potency in the drying process.

• If using dry herbs, look for those that have the same tint as when alive. They should not be grey (save mugwort, sage and herbs that are naturally grey when alive).
• They should have a STRONG scent when the jar is open. If you go to a shop ask to smell the herbs - even if you don’t know what they should smell like. They shouldn’t have a faint smell or a perfumey smell either. They should smell earthy and floral.
• Another sign of a reputable shop are individually priced essential oils– for instance Lavender and White Pine are generally not the same price.
• After 6 months the medicinal value of most dried herbs decreases.
• Any of these herbal teas are also great for people!

* The following recipes suggest measurements for dried herbs unless otherwise specified.

Respiratory Tea

Used for wheezing, sneezing, runny nose, and chest congestion.

3 tsp Astragalus root

1 tsp lavender

2 tsp chamomile

2 tsp nettle

1 tsp peppermint

• In a med saucepan bring 5 cups of water and the astragalus root to a boil - boil for 3 mins.
• Take it off the burner, add other herbs and cover.
• Let sit 5-15 mins. (The longer you let it sit the stronger it will be.)
• *It is important to cover the pot to keep the essential oils in. the oils hold the benefits of the herbs.
• Strain the mixture into a container.
• Allow to cool.

Serve for 5-7 days.

Rule of thumb – continue to serve for 3 days after the symptoms are gone.

Infection Fighter

2 tsp Echinacea (immune system boosting and attacks bacteria)

2 tsp goldenseal (kills a wide range of bacteria and fungi)

1 tsp minced garlic (highly antimicrobial, fights bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites)

2 tsp licorice root (anti inflammatory, eases cough and nourishes adrenal glands)

1 tsp marshmallow root (soothes inflamed mucus membranes, mildly stimulating for the immune system)

• In a med pot, add 7 cups water and the Echinacea, garlic, licorice and marshmallow root.
• Simmer for 3-5 minutes with cover on.
• Remove from heat and add goldenseal.
• Cover and let sit 5-10 minutes. (The longer it sits the stronger it gets.)

Let sit until it cools to room temperature

Fill a gallon waterer half way with tea and add warm water the rest of the way.

Save the rest of the mixture in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container.

 fresh mint

Wound Wash

My favorite wound wash is witch hazel with 10 drops of lavender essential oil added.

Infused Herbal Oil Salve

Make an infused herbal oil by mixing: 

3 tsp calendula

3 tsp comfrey

3 tsp st. johns wort

3 tsp lavender

2 cups of olive, safflower or jojoba oil. 

• Let sit for 2 weeks, shaking once a day.
• Strain
• Add 1/4 cup beeswax per 1 cup infused oil.
• Heat until beeswax is completely melted (low and slow is best here)
• To test texture, put 1 tsp of the mix in a small glass bowl and put in freezer to set up for a few minutes. Test the texture. If it is too soft, add more beeswax - too hard, add oil.
• While the finished product is still hot pour into jars or tins.
• Store in cool dark place.

Natural Styptic Powder

Ordinary Corn Starch works wonderfully to stop bleeding from minor wounds and scratches.

Another Note:

Lavender essential oil is a very important item that every natural chicken keeper should keep in the first aid box - the real, organic stuff. It is antibacterial, antibiotic, reduces pain, swelling and bleeding. It is your complete “go to” product for injuries.

I use it on my kids boo-boos and of course my own. It is gentle enough to use it on an infant without cutting it with a carrier like olive oil.

For calming, I like the oil because you can just dab some on. You can put a drop on a tissue to smell, or a drop on your pillow.

I make lavender tea cookies (there is no tea in it - they are “tea cookies” with lavender in them) I love them. You can put the oil with some water and a bit of witch hazel in a spray bottle and spray it around the house, and that same solution can be used in your hair or as a face wash. It is so gentle and easy to use!

I also like the dried lavender flowers for tea.

More information on herbal remedies:

Remedies for Health Problems of the Organic Laying Flock

A Compendium and Workbook of Management, Nutritional, Herbal, and Homeopathic Remedies

Compiled and Edited by Karma E. Glos

Need to buy herbs? See these online stores:

Starwest Botanicals

Mountain Rose Herbs

The Spice House

Sun Natural Foods

 

Brief description of various healing herbs:

Lavender essential oil is a very important item that every natural chicken keeper should keep in the first aid box - the real, organicstuff. This gentle little flower does it all. It is antibacterial, antibiotic, reduces pain, swelling and bleeding. It is your complete “goto” product for injuries.

I use it on my kids boo-boos and of course my own. It is gentle enough to use it on an infant without cutting it with a carrier like olive oil.

For calming, I like the oil because you can just dab some on. You can put a drop on a tissue to smell, or a drop on your pillow.

I make lavender tea cookies (there is no tea in it - they are “tea cookies” with lavender in them) I love them. You can put the oil with some water and a bit of witch hazel in a spray bottle and spray it around the house, and that same solution can be used in your hair or as a face wash. It is so gentle and easy to use!

I also like the dried lavender flowers for tea.

Rosemary- antiseptic, astringent, circulatory stimulant. It promotes healing and kills bacteria

Thyme- Great antibacterial, antibiotic, antimicrobial,. Its a great wound herb and great for colds and flu

Sage- Astringent, tonic, is a great infection fighter, fights colds and fever, clears congestion, soothes sore throats

Basil- astringent, infection fighting, great for acne, calms the nerves

Chives--- I just eat them

Parsley-rich in vitamins, reduces fever, allergy symptoms

Echinacea-  Take internally Echinacea is great immune system builder. Topically it helps the body repair wounds. Stimulates the white blood cells which destroy bacteria, viruses, and foreign invaders also activates the production of a protein interferon which protects cells against the invasion of viruses.

Garlic- strong antibiotic, expectorant, antihistamine, great for colds and respiratory infections

Mint-

Peppermint- digestive tonic, antiseptic, pain relieving, calms upset stomach,

Spearmint- Good for relieving cold symptoms, headaches, great for indigestion

Wildcrafting Wednesday Blog Hop

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Gnarly Bunch - Chapter 30 - 10/19/12 One Month

10/19/12

Well, the hay that the Bat brought home was moldy...bad moldy.  It was free, so one cannot complain..but the mold got Katy Chicken to wheezing and sneezing again, poor thing. 

To economize and make do with what we have, I will be encasing these bales in heavy duty leaf bags and using them for insulation anyway.  It won't look as pretty but it gets the job done and will make the bales easy to clean, while still sealing in the mold and providing an insulator for this open air coop. 

I found that I don't need as many bales to make this coop snug but will hold a few bales in reserve in case the cold gets more bitter this winter and I need more oomph in the coop.  I doubt I will....

Pics of Middle Sister, AKA Stumpy, and her now normal feet.  She was soaked with epsom salts for these impacted glands in her feet and resulting inflammation, 2 nights in a row, and the impaction was relieved some days before that.  I think the epsom salt soaks finally turned the tide for this chicken and she is now on the way to filling out and getting a better overall appearance and health. 

From left to right on the three WR sisters:  Raggedy Ann(no longer raggedy), Middle Sister(no longer Stumpy) and Bertha AKA Moby Dick(the only one that looked like a chicken when this all started). 

Middle Sister's feet...no longer puffy, swollen and tender...you can still see a residual redness but her scales are shiny, no more evidence of scale mites and the swelling is down.

From this pic, it's almost hard to tell which hen is the Middle Sister now(she's the one in the middle, naturally)....look below to see what she looked like at  Week 1, a mere three weeks previous. 

Pics of the new leaves added to the bedding today....and the chickens who love them.  I try to get leaves that are good and dry, after the dew has dried and the winds have done their job.  Then the open air coop will continue to let off humidity/moisture as these leaves dry out and deteriorate.

 

I have one more chicken that needs reconditioning and is not catching up with the others.  She is a little BA or a BA mutt that still looks pretty scraggly, dull feathered and kind of skinny.  She is the other chicken I found with enlarged and impacted glands in the feet, though not as bad as the WR, Middle Sister.  This bird doesn't have a name other than That Other Black Hen...we'll have to work on that.  She is not one of my original flock and I do not know her age, she is molting and she is not laying.  I'll try to get pics of her tomorrow to show her general condition right now. 

For now, I think a good soak in the warm Epsom salts may make a difference in this bird's feet, maybe dig out any debris in those glands...it just may help her gain some ground.  It sure worked for Middle Sister.  When a creature is in discomfort, you can often see it in their general condition....they won't have a healthy, bright appearance and movement and they will stand out from the rest, if the rest of the flock are doing well.  That is what is happening with this little bird...she's the last one that seems to be needing some sheen and gloss to her feathers and some pep in her step. 

After that one, I think they will all be out of the woods and moving towards good health for the winter.   Most of the legs are showing new, glossy scales ~ I don't know when they lost the old ones but there is new, lovely and supple scales now showing on most birds.  Toby still has some old scales to shed, Turkey has some and a few of the others but for the most part, most legs are new and pretty.  I'll try to get pics of the new legs/scales/feet soon. 

Winterization of the coop is done for now. I'd like to add a few features to let in more light but will have to work on that a little.  This is a weird style of coop, so the tweakings are possible but not as easy as on a wooden coop.  I just feel like natural light is so important for winter as the birds will be in the coop more and need some sunshine.  This coop is pretty dark for my liking. 

The coyotes are howling close again tonight and about in the same location.  They must have a kill down there that they are returning to and eating on. 

Soaked a chicken's feet tonight and removed some stinky stuff out of the foot glands, applied more NuStock to the scales and massaged in some bag balm.  Miss Ruby got a butt check, a wash and some more NS applied to her vent.  Her vent looks great except for ulcers at the corners of her vent.  I applied bag balm to these as well.  She lays an enormous egg and this can't be helping the healing of those corners.  The gleet looks like it is gone and she is no longer swollen and prolapsed at all. 

Gnarly Bunch - Chapter 31 - 10/21/12

Gnarly Bunch - Chapter 28 - 10/17/12

10/17/12

Gnarly Bunch Daily Update:  Three strong eggs today...seems to be only three hens laying at all and only two real steady but once a week there are no eggs at all.  Come spring there better be some eggs in those nests!!! 

GOOD:  Katy has no more wheezing and coughing/sneezing.  From that I can conclude it was an allergic reaction to the fresh lavender in the nest boxes and that is now gone.  So much for placing herbs in their nest boxes to deter possible mites and lice.  Not that they have any of those any longer but it's nice to prevent instead of treat and that was the first time I'd tried the herbs.  I can check that off my list as a no-go for now.  I must confess, though... sure did like those lavender scented eggs.  

I think Miss Katie is getting quite friendly towards me... I've noticed this a time or two before.  She will peck around close to me and stand there and watch me, cocking her head and staying close even when the others move away. 

I can recognize the signs and have had a few such hens in each flock over the years.  These are the ones that would make good pets as they seem to enjoy human interaction.  Most do not, so I don't force my attentions upon them but the few moochy hens I get, I will talk to them when they come near and maybe feed them a treat just for themselves.  I like that closer connection but I don't force it any further than they want it to be.  No need to get clingy.... 

BAD?  GOOD?:  My mother came back from visiting my sister and brought an EE rooster along for the ride.  My sister can't have them in town where she lives... she is not supposed to have chickens at all but keeps a whole flock on the low-low and definitely can't keep a rooster while trying to do chickens incognito and I don't agree with the whole sneaking and having chickens anyway as it's just a bad thing to start.  I also don't agree with not killing your own roosters...your rooster, your problems. But... he's here now and he's my problem. 

He is snow white with green/blue legs, a rose comb, and a loud mouth ~ started crowing as soon as I placed him on the roost at 9pm and crowed several times ~ no wonder the neighbors were threatening her.    Very healthy in appearance with no mites or lice that I can see and no evidence of scale mites.  He is nicely muscled out and is very clean.  My sister has a decent setup that is very open air, so she doesn't have any problems in her flock caused by space and ventilation problems.  She seems to do alright with her birds, despite not wanting to cull when needed. 

Ol' Toby may shut that loud mouth for him tomorrow...we'll just have to see how things go.  Too many roos for this many hens but we'll see how it all turns out. NOT a breed that I would ever choose for breeding offspring, so he will probably wind up in the crock pot in the spring, if not sooner. 

Gnarly Bunch - Chapter 29 - 10/18/12

Gnarly Bunch - Chapter 27 - 10/16/12

10/16/12

I'm currently having a possible cull issue and, since I've never had this problem, am considering all points and am mulling it over according to my standards of care.  I have a Barred Rock that is wheezing at times and coughing/sneezing a little.  She is eating well, drinking well and very active and foraging.  She is moving well and seems bright of eye and action.  She is laying fairly well, though not every day and she is approximately 2 yrs. old. 

But... she is the one that has red, bare skin on her lower abdomen that has not regained feathering in the past 3 wks she has been here.  All the other birds have regained feathering even though they are now actively molting.  We have applied NuStock to her reddened skin on three occasions and it looks less red but it is not growing feathers.  Of all the birds appearances, this is the one that is lagging behind in feathering and wt. gain. 

Now… do I wait and see if this cold just wears itself out?  Do I wait and see if she gets worse before I cull her?  What if the other birds catch her cold?  If so, do I trust that they will be able to fare well since they are living in healthy conditions and eating healthy foods now? 

I don't have a way to isolate a bird here, nor do I think that is the answer.  I think that immune systems need testing to see if they are strong...and this is a test.  Is it just her immune system that is weak or are there others with the same problem?  As they were out of my care for so long and were given such poor care and are only less than a month into recovery, should I be concerned about not culling sooner, in fear that their immune systems are still weakened and susceptible to invaders? 

All of these questions are to be considered.  For now I have given her honey and garlic as of last night to see if it would ease her congestion.  Nothing really changed.  She doesn't appear to be getting worse and this is the third day of symptoms.  Colds are viral, so they usually run their course in 2 wks. 

It's all a guessing game with these chickens and most of these problems are things of which I've never had to encounter..... I'll keep you all posted on her progress and my decisions about her care or her culling.
 

ETA:  NOTE:  Three days ago I had placed lavender cuttings in the nest boxes and in the coop....it may be coincidence that this bird, one of the few that is laying almost daily, should experience allergy symptoms, but I removed them tonight and will see if this is indeed a factor in her symptoms. 

I think, due to the timing of the fresh lavender clippings in the nest boxes, this ol' gal just may have a simple case of asthma/allergies caused by the strong lavendar oil in the fresh clippings.  Had a similar thing happen once to a donated red star chicken when first introduced to cedar chips...she wheezed and sneezed.  Was the only chicken in the coop to react in that manner and so was given to someone who wanted a pet chicken.  She eventually cleared up after being removed from the source of allergen. 

Gnarly Bunch Update:  As mentioned above, removed possible allergen from the coop and will wait and see if Katy AKA Monkey Butt gets herself straightened up.  No eggs today...nada!  The girls continue to look smooth and glossy as they travel through the land of molt...some look a little rag tag but Raggedy Ann, Bertha and Ruby Crockett are looking the most lovely of all.

Pics taken yesterday: 

GOOD:   Stumpy's feet look great and she is smoothing out and moving better.  Ruby, as you can see above, is looking great and her vent is looking better each day.

BAD:  The NuStock only works on Jake's fleas as long as it is on his body...he keeps licking it off and the fleas repopulate.  Will make a spray of pine tar solution tomorrow to see if THAT works and if he will lick it off.  Will place a little hot pepper juice in the mix to try and see if he will leave it alone.  Desperate times calls for desperate measures.  Today he got dusted with ashes but it only provided temporary relief and then I saw him out there digging again.  Where will it all end???? 

Gnarly Bunch - Chapter 28 - 10/17/12