Essential oils and chickens

[lifthiminsong]

Using metal is fine.

When I bathe my girls, I set them in the kitchen sink. This is easier on my back, and I can control the water temp easier. I simply use a washcloth to wipe down where needed. The kicker is keeping them in the water 15-20 minutes.

Some chickens like being placed in the water (I had one even immediately draw her legs up and float from relaxation), some don't so getting them to settle down is key. It only takes a few seconds though.

Yes, Oregano is a hot oil. That's why I also add some olive oil to the mix. But even as "water and oil don't mix", I've never had any issues.

Good luck!

 

[Rosie Cheeks]

Has anyone got any idea what essential oil that will help a chicken with poor blood circulation?

 

[lifthiminsong]

That's a tough one.
Helichrysum is an excellent oil for such, but it's a very expensive oil.
Have you considered Ylang Ylang or even just Lavender? Sometimes some of the more commonplace oils do the trick.

Good luck!

 

[caitlyn p]

Has anyone used essential oils on the coop to keep away mites and such? I was thibking about peppermint or lavender but cant find any infor on the effects it could have on my girls

 

[jbkirk]

Has anyone used essential oils on the coop to keep away mites and such? I was thinking about peppermint or lavender but cant find any info on the effects it could have on my girls

I don't n\know about oils but a tub of Diometacious earth would clean them up.

 

[caitlyn p]

Ok i think ill get some of that. ive heard a lot about it. Where is it sold? Or should i just try amazon

 

[jbkirk]

Ok i think ill get some of that. ive heard a lot about it. Where is it sold? Or should i just try amazon

I *think* that most farm stores sell it.

 

[lifthiminsong]

Purification, Thieves, Clove, Oregano, Peppermint, and Lavender oils are all options I'd consider.

Personally, we blend 10 drops each Purification, Thieves, Lavender, and Peppermint in a 16oz spray bottle with 1 Tbsp of witch hazel and the rest water for spraying our coop/barn 1x/month.
I have even sprayed this directly onto my girls when those little horrid black flies are in. It works marvelously as a repellant, not to mention the immune boosting benefits it has for my girls!

Although we've not had any problems since using the oils, occasionally, we do sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth inside the areas as well.

Good luck!

 

[LovingWingsFarm]

I discovered this thread (and subsequently joined Backyard Chickens) after my favorite girl, Red, suffered some pretty serious injuries to her head. I'm not sure exactly what caused it, but my guess is that she was pecked and plucked bloody by my broody mama hen, Sammie. My husband and I went out of town for two nights, and I found her bald, swollen, and bleeding when we returned. Nothing inspires guilt quite like returning from vacation to injured pets.

I've been using essential oils for healing, cleaning, and home care for quite some time. When I saw Red's injuries, my first instinct was to treat her with some awesome antiseptic oil blend. Prior to doing that, it occurred to me that chickens might be sensitive to some oils. So in researching my question, I discovered this thread. There really isn't much out there, aside from some personal accounts, about this topic. Could make for an awesome Ph.D.! Just sayin...

That bring me to my minor contribution. No, not PhD suggestions. I ended up throwing caution to the wind and creating a antiseptic cleanser that I thought would work. So far it seems to have helped. Her swollen eye is now fully open, and she's considerably less lethargic. Here's what I did:

I dissolved a couple tablespoons of Epsom salt in a bowl of warm water. Then I added Castile soap (Doc Bronner's sensitive) and witch hazel. I added about a mL of an antiseptic oil I made consisting of 4 oz of coconut oil, 20 drops of lavender EO, 15 drops of Frankincense EO, 10 drops of lemon EO, and 8 drops of melaleuca EO. Melaleuca was a controversial one for me since some species react poorly to it (like cats). But it's also an incredible antiseptic, as is lavender. This is why I chose to incorporate the smallest amount of it in the blend.

I apologize for the recipe not being more exact. I was kind of going by gut on this one. I'll update as her condition progresses. So far, so good!




This photo doesn't come close to capturing the level of head trauma this hen endured. I took it after cleaning her up and letting her rest. If you'll notice, she lost the tip of her upper beak, has trauma to the tissue surrounding her eye, almost lost the tip of her comb, and has hematomas in her waddle. It kills me! Red is the sweetest chicken you can imagine. She's currently in my bathroom recovering. Poor girl.

 

[ADHSATX]

Cypress! Wonderful for blood circulation.