GSE or Grapefruit Seed Extract Combats Cocci or Coccidiosis and Other Ailments

We had a 13 week old hen, Pippin, our Blue Copper Marans, suddenly start pooping blood. My little coop with the Wee Hens looked like a crime scene. I immediately brought her inside to my giant Tupperware container and put it all in the bathroom.

I began to google natural remedies for cocci (after I deduced that pooping blood is most likely coccidia). It was New Year's Eve and my little hen was lightweight and droopy and not eating or drinking. I found an obscure blog with a farmer who treated his goats and bunnies with GSE or grapefruit seed extract. So I cross referenced chickens and GSE and found another obscure blog with a woman who had cured three chickens with GSE.

GSE is anti bacterial, anti viral, and anti-fungal.

Anyway, forgive the pun, but I put all my eggs in one basket and went to the healthfood store and purchased some GSE and put 10 drops in 2 cups of water, stirred well, and began force feeding it gently down Pippin's throat. I continued to give her as much GSE in water as possible and by the end of 24 hours, she began to drink my GSE laced water on her own. 12 hours later, she began to eat.

Her poop went from pure blood to normal over the course of three days.

I was filled with gratitude. I then put my sick child on it and she was fine in a few days. Google the benefits. I'm a huge convert. I think that every chicken keeper needs that stuff in the drawer.

I wanted to tell everyone with the hopes that I might help other chicken keepers. We adore our birdies.

If one of my chickens was pooping blood, I'd speed to the feed store and get some Corid. Probably because it's labeled specifically for coccidiosis. Grapefruit seed extract may work, but is there 100 or 1000 people who claim the same thing?

Nancy Luce, who was known as the Crazy Chicken Lady in Martha's vineyard in the 1800's cured all her chickens with "Good Cake". I guess that's why all my poorly feeling chickens get cake with their meds, LOL!

I'm sure there are people that flock (so to speak) immediately to chemicals and Western medicine--some of which has all kinds of side effects. That said, I typically don't have anything against Western medicine at all.

But as I said previously, it was New Year's Eve; I didn't have a firm diagnosis and the Feed Store was closed. And I'm new to chicken keeping.

And so I bought grapefruit seed extract and it worked beautifully. It also deworms while leaving the good flora behind.

Corid, from my reading, can block thaimin and damage the liver. In other words, there is a penalty.

Personally, I prefer natural treatments and methods IF they are effective and save the life of my bird.

In this case GSE worked quickly, has loads of testimonials (please look it up) and did not have any negative side effects.

Sometimes the path less travelled is actually the better path.

karabou said:

I'm sure there are people that flock (so to speak) immediately to chemicals and Western medicine--some of which has all kinds of side effects. That said, I typically don't have anything against Western medicine at all.

But as I said previously, it was New Year's Eve; I didn't have a firm diagnosis and the Feed Store was closed. And I'm new to chicken keeping.

And so I bought grapefruit seed extract and it worked beautifully. It also deworms while leaving the good flora behind.

Corid, from my reading, can block thaimin and damage the liver. In other words, there is a penalty.

Personally, I prefer natural treatments and methods IF they are effective and save the life of my bird.

In this case GSE worked quickly, has loads of testimonials (please look it up) and did not have any negative side effects.

Sometimes the path less travelled is actually the better path.

Click to expand...

Here you go, here's a link for you:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/283192/organic-topics-index

Grape seed extract does have antioxidant properties. Star Anise oil, juniper berry oil, flax, garlic are antioxidants which are in my feed formulation. Grape seed extract can be effective against one strain of coccidiosis called E. tenella which attacks the caeca of a chicken. That's only one strain of many that can plague chickens.

Polyphenols from GSE would be a good alternative to unnatural preservatives like BHA and BHT in feeds. Antioxidants are beneficial, but are not a cure for coccidiosis. The supplementation of probiotics are often overlooked in regard to preventing intestinal diseases too. Where I believe diet is of major importance since immunity begins in the intestinal tract, I also realize pathogens, protozoa, and other nasty microorganisms also build immunity to organic remedies. That is where modern medicine must advance and be used to overcome illness.

Grape FRUIT seed extract is a wholly different animal than grape seed

While grapefruit seed extract may have helped your hen(assuming she did in fact have a coccidiosis overload)i would caution anyone on using this as a coccidiostat,there is not enough proof that it in fact works to bring parasite under control. We know for a fact that coccidiostats like amprolium do bring cocci overloads back under control and they work. The problem with cocci is that it kills very fast that is why it is crucial for treatment to begin asap and with a product that is known to work.

GSE may be antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial, I haven't studied it so I cannot comment on that aspect. But, coccidia are none of those, they are a protozoa. I would want to hear many, many more success stories, and better yet, actual studies, before I put any of my birds lives on the line. Especially in the case of Corid which is a very simple drug, does not even require egg withdrawal, and we know it works. I guess my main concern in treating coccidiosis is the lack of time before it becomes lethal. Folks may try an "all natural" remedy and if it doesn't work for some reason then it is likely to be to late by the time they turn to Corid and birds lost that otherwise could so easily be saved.

Welcome to BYC!

Don't take this the wrong way, 'cause I mean this in the nicest way possible, but if you have a bird on deaths door with one of the *many* strains of coccidiosis, it does not have 3 days. And while your GSE experiment worked, how do you know it was the GSE and not the the force feeding of water?

-Kathy

It seems like GSE antimicrobial properties are synthetic preservatives. There is no natural antimicrobial activity. That SYNTHETIC preservative
is benzethonium chloride. Benzethonium chloride is a manufactured chemical. If enough of it is consumed, side effects include; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, collapse and coma. Ingesting 1 to 3 grams can be fatal.
However, it has been discovered to kill MRSA when used topically.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10399191