Thank you, too Kevin565.
Amazingly, I finally found the posts I was looking for; they were all responses to questions about sick birds.
The recipe I was thinking of is largely intended to help peas after they have been wormed (see below).
I hope you don't mind, Resolution, I'm going to post your advice again here in case anyone else is looking for it:
Please note: what follows is all advice from Resolution (I can't claim any glory here!).
Also, please note that this advice was given in the context of discussions about sick birds, so they are somewhat out of context here.
1)
They may have an upper respiratory infection and or gapeworm.
Crack a pumpkin in half and use it as a feeder. Only put wildbird seed and dog food in the pumpkin halves. Stop feeding soft feed (crumbles, soft pellets, mash). Sprinkle table spoon of diatomaceous earth per bird into some canned cranberry sauce with whole fruit- and provide this each evening for four days.
If the coughing continues write back. I don't suggest worming or providing antibiotics unless you actually know what is wrong with the bird.
A big mistake many people make is medicating birds with no real knowledge of what they're dealing with. This ends up creating antibiotic resistant strains of bacterium and viruses. Worming is also rough on the systems of your birds. It's a short term and necessary thing to do in your husbandry but you must have a real plan of action.
2)
You need to help the bird boost its immune system. That's the primary objective of helping a bird through an illness- not kill all the good bacteria along with the bad.
Get yourself some Omega Red gel caps- one gel cap every three days for two weeks -AND a cranberry GEL cap (not powder)- sold in any pharmacy for people with urinary tract infections- every three days for two weeks- AND plain yogurt mixed into canned corn every day for two weeks.
3)
There is a real need to help birds boost their immune systems - and food is medicine. Wormers are pesticides and should never be administered to birds unless they are in the best possible condition. That's a bit of a catch 22. People feel the need for a panacea and it would appear from this forum (and others) that wormers serve as that cure all.
The bird is then put on a special diet that is rich in fatty acids -krill oil specifically- gel caps tucked down the gullet at the first sign of distress- cranberry gel caps the same- and a special custard -72 hours at the minimum -afflicted birds- afflicted with anything- are held in a large dog crate and fed this special custard. Their water will have electrolytes mixed and may include a bit of unsweetened cherry concentrate.
Wormers are administered only when I know what I'm treating for (generally- there have been times when I'm at a complete loss what to do- call a friend with the same stock and they remind me to horse paste them and there I'm at it.) But it doesn't end there. After worming the birds should be kept off of certain foods. That special custard is all that should be fed for a week after worming.
Back from the Brink Custard:
Canned Pumpkin
Canned Sweet Potato
Cooked Rice OR Cooked Bulgar OR Cooked Oatmeal
Peanut Butter
Turmeric Powder
Cardamom Pods
Walnut Flour
one tin of canned Tuna
frozen or canned berries
mix accordingly- there is no wrong way- just try and get all the ingredients and make sure that cooked rice/bulgar/ oatmeal- this is at least 50% of the recipe.
The custard should be firm enough to pick at with a fork- not a gooey dough.
The birds need to be fed twice a day- old soft bananas fed out every evening.
Thanks for the tips!
Edited by new 2 pfowl - 5/8/12 at 7:59pm
