Essential oils and chickens

[lifthiminsong]

Neem oil (cold pressed seed) is great for scaly leg mites though I use stockholm tar for that more often as it's a potent painkiller and does the job in two or three applications. In Australia they sell neem oil for... I'll get the bottle and read off it... "psoriasis, eczema, cold sores, skin ulcers, sun spots, ring worm, athletes foot, fungal infections, acne, fleas, ticks, summer itch, hot spots, skin irritations, warts, moles" --- and I've used it successfully to save my cat from dying from severe blue pigeon lice infestation; her whole face was a scab. It's not recommended for pregnant women, though.

Many oils are great applied directly for certain things, but I'm not too familiar with using essential oils, though some swear by coconut oil for wounds and infections. Herbs naturally contain essential oils so if you're using them you're already applying them whether internally or externally. Juliette de Bairacli Levy is a great author to look up for herbal properties and cures, I follow her teachings with great success. 

I use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil as one of my main assaults on any virus or problem, almost, lol. I give it as a laxative drench (made laxative just by giving a more than they need, not that it makes them do runny poops, just hurries it up and thereby dislodges lots of harmful microbes, parasites, etc and of course olive oil's got other medicinal properties too). I've never had an egg bound hen and all my hens have had diets high in natural oils as I avoid overprocessed feed. One other thing I thought of: I had a hen who I got from a breeder who wasn't a good breeder, really. Anyway she lived with a constant case of enteritis. She was never actually infected, just constantly bloated from it. I think the reason it didn't infect was because I always kept her, like my other chooks, on a diet that included raw garlic. Kelp's great too. 

How much raw garlic and kelp, and from where do you get it?

 

[lifthiminsong]

Okay, so I did put a couple of drops of oregano oil and a few drop of olive oil in my girl's water. Within 15 minutes she pushed out a broken and rotten egg. I now believe it was the oils that did the trick.
However, as mentioned previously, I don't know that I would've done this had I not thought she would have died without trying.

I used essential oils (about 10 drops of each - lavender, citronella, lemongrass, and cedarwood) mixed with water in a 16oz spray bottle to spray my girls and their barn when I clean it. I have definitely noticed fewer flies and lice.

 

[lifthiminsong]

...

Okay, so I did put a couple of drops of oregano oil and a few drop of olive oil in my girl's water. Within 15 minutes she pushed out a broken and rotten egg. I now believe it was the oils that did the trick.
However, as mentioned previously, I don't know that I would've done this had I not thought she would have died without trying.

She's been great ever since!

 

[chooks4life]

Whoa, a broken and ROTTEN egg... Nasty! Poor girl!

I would keep that one on a regular diet involving garlic to clean her blood in that case. Onion's good too. It supports their liver as well.

Quote: I'd just use the garlic bought at the shops, raw, I'd peel it and mince or crush it before feeding; you can usually get dried granulated garlic or minced garlic in tubs or bottles at feed bards/produce stores/wherever you get pet or livestock supplies, same with the kelp. Don't know where you'd get that in America as I'm an Australian, but I don't know where you are... The kelp comes granulated or powdered and you can also get that in health food shops but it's cheaper to get it in animal feed stores, granulated. It costs $6 a kilo here and a kilo lasts a very long time.

Best wishes. Good to hear your hen's doing better. She will probably need some TLC to maintain that though. Kelp is an endocrinal regulator, so will get her hormones working as they should, which is important in all things not just egg laying. Our entire bodies run on hormones, whereas common facts passed around usually make it sound like hormones are only relevant to the sexual organs, and growing.

 

[JNB]

I just saw this post.. Sorry I didnt see it before..... Wanted to share that I use various essential oils with my chickens and other animals I have done so for several years with great results.. The list of oils is so long for different issues. But the ones I would say I use the most.

Cloves: Has many uses. I often use it in a spray bottle and added to my girls to repel bugs. when I have an injured girl I have even added a few drops to a base oil like almond or grape seed to rub on the area around the wound. Its a great anti septic and seems to aid in pain relief. Also if there is any feather pecking going on. Spraying the victim bird with cloves and water dilution seems to keep the others at bay.

Tea Tree Oil.. I use this for countless things Spraying diluted in the coop, if a bath is needed I add few drops of TT oil and sprigs of rosemary. Its great to get rid of any lice or bugs that might be lurking.

Lavender: I often use this if I have a injured or ill bird or animal. Sometimes I add Bergamot oil just drop or two. to the ill animals bedding or crate. Putting a few drops on a cotton cloth and tucking it where they are kept always seems to have a calming effect on the animals.

Peppermint, Spearmint and Wintergreen are wonderful for using in the coop to repel flies and other bugs. The only caution on mints is that they can be toxic at times and do sting if applies to open skin or a mucas membrane area. So I usually do not use them on any open wounds. They can be used as a sore muscle rub and work fantastic. I think the deal with mint family is in moderation and use common sense.

FYI.... I also hang Mint leaves, lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano stems in bunches from the ceiling and door of my coops. Freshens the coop air and repels bugs

 

[misschickenlittle]

I am sooooo glad I found this! I have been using EO's for a few years now but never tried any on my birds. Now that I have 5 babies that are sickly... have bloated squishy bellies I've been trying to figure out if I can use something!

These came from someone else who needed to lighten their load... i knew when I got them they could be sick but I didn't complain because I've been trying to hatch these same birds... Anyway... If it's cocci, would Oregano be good? Or maybe thyme... I also thought about the Thieves blend... The lady I got them from thought they might have pink eye so Thieves would help with that but gee so would oregano or thyme.

Thoughts??

I saw JNB said Tea Tree is ok to use. I would have thought not since cedar is toxic. Perhaps totally different family? Or oils makes it different?

 

[chooks4life]

I am not very experienced with EOs but I do know some are very strong and only to be used in tiny amounts. I would recommend feeding the actual herbs in their feed or in tea form rather than EO form since it is so much milder and they are just babies. For instance garlic oil can irritate but garlic itself is usually safer. The herbs will administer a gentler dose of the EOs and other properties of the herbs without running the risk of overdoing it. But I'm sure someone who is more experienced can tell you more. Best wishes.

 

[lifthiminsong]

I'd start with oregano in their water first

 

[misschickenlittle]

Question on the oils in water - what type of waterer do you have? The oils will react negatively with both plastic and metal...??

 

[MelissaTXRn]

Ordered neem oil from a girl on etsy! Still have not gotten it!!! (