Cream Legbars

[dretd]

Good luck with the coaxing!

I've been meaning to add in about honey with regard to healing. About 10 years ago there were some studies and anecdotal case studies that were published suggesting honey's use in wound management.

If you go waaaaay back in history, about 1000 years before the 'father' of modern medicine (Hippocrates) you will run across Imhotep--- a great healer in ancient Egypt who was vilified in the Mummy movies. There are writings attributed to him and his healers describing many treatments including the use of honey to treat wounds.

Although many attribute honey's healing powers to enzymes or proteins, I think that the main reason it works is that 1) honey is hygroscopic- it has low water content and will draw water from the surrounding cells--both the animals and any bacteria in the area. This action reduces swelling in damaged tissue and it also dehydrates the bacteria enough they cannot grow. And 2) honey is made up mainly of the simple sugars fructose and glucose and baby cells need energy to grow and heal--the honey provides a ready source of cellular energy for the injury.

I haven't tried Manuka honey myself, but it looks like it is one of several types of honey that are exceptionally low in water content. They look almost like spun honey in the jar. Ones I have tried are Canadian White Gold and one from Hawaii--I forget the name. They are more expensive and have a really different texture than 'normal' fluid honey.

I have used honey (just the regular raw wildflower honey) to treat wounds and in fact just got done treating my EE Eva who had a prolapsed cloaca secondary to diarrhea. Oral antibiotics, soaked her rear in warm water and used honey topically on the prolapse to reduce swelling etc. She actually lived without surgery and is back with the flock.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I was biting my nails last night with those banded girls being outside- it was near zero plus 20 mph winds. They are 4 weeks old and do have a heat lamp but I was still nervous. Trying not to hover too much- they are chickens after all! They made it though! Didn't get photos taken this weekend with this big ice/snowstorm that came through. We had "thundersleet" in oklahoma- lighting, thunder, sleet, and snow all at once. Melting quickly thankfully!

 

[sol2go]

dretd - I love the data!

that may explain why, in my experience, the Manuka application formed a "cap" which looked like an undulating scab, but popped right off to reveal really clean fresh skin beneath, which was moist but not weeping.
okay...tmi?

and thanks for your experience with your EE, glad to know she had a good outcome.

 

[CibolaChooks]

I think it was in India or something I seen them putting honey in the eyes of people for eye disease

http://www.mari.su/bee/honey_for_treating.html

 

[Darkangael]

I always find it interesting how much of medicine has been dismissed as snake oil simply because it was around before modern medicine. Love hearing the personal experiences of people. How is everyone's hatching going so far this year?

 

[Ashdoes]

We're collecting our first hatch eggs right now. We had to significantly increase our girls protein, but they're laying a little better then the last month. Looking forward to seeing what we hatch.

 

[chicken pickin]

I have a batch incubating also. 12 CL eggs, 6 on day5 and 6 on day1. Im going to candle the day5 eggs tonight.

 

[Ashdoes]

We ran a test incubation about a month ago and the day after we candled, five eggs had blood rings. I felt awful, I'm not sure if it would have happened without the candling, but have decided not to candle this next batch.

 

[chicken pickin]

Hmmm I candled 2 days ago and then tonight and all mine seem fine. I also try not to candle too much it makes me nervous that the light bothers them lol. I only ended candled these ones twice early on because I was so excited.

Have you considered maybe the eggs were to cold prior to incubating so they couldnt develop well or is it possible there may be disease in the flock(sorry thats not to offend you). Im not sure if
candling can cause blood rings. What day were they on?

 

[Ashdoes]

Nope, the eggs are on my counter before incubating, and no flock sickness. Two eggs had blood rings then a couple days later three more did. I'm not really worried about any issues, just going to avoid candling.