Going the natural route has nothing to do with foregoing medicating animals --- it just means you need to learn what the natural medications are, and use them instead of artificial ones. Nobody should 'go the natural route' if they don't understand at least something about natural disease control in wild animals and how they can replicate this in domesticity.
Unfortunately many people think going naturally or organically means not treating.
If you don't know how to treat naturally, do it artificially/conventionally, and don't feel bad about it. We do what we have to do with what we know and what we can access.
In my earlier years I used conventional wormers and so forth until I knew how to replace them naturally. By the time I got chooks, I knew how to control things well enough to not use anything artificial/conventional on them. Raw garlic works 100% against cocci, I've never had a single case of coccidiosis. Some might think 'well, you probably did, but misidentified it' --- but I didn't have disease deaths in chicks, nor sick chicks, ever; that is, until I got MD and Leukosis in some family lines, when I lost a few to that.
Best wishes.
I have not had a problem with cocci since I was a kid and did not know any better. That does not mean anything at all. I do not use medicated feed, or supplements. I do try to manage the young birds accordingly and diligently.
If something natural is potent enough to kill Northern Fowl Mites, it is no less toxic than seven dust. That is what I mean about being concerned with whether or not it is effective. I would rather use the seven dust than allow the mite infestation to grow.
Nicotine is organic and natural, but it dos not make it safe. Whether or not a compound is organic or synthetic does not speak for it's safety.
Garlic will not effectively treat a cocci infestation. I hope someone that has one does not try to save their chicks with garlic.
I am all for natural and or organic. I emphasize growing native fruits on my property in order to avoid the chemicals. I hate spraying. I just will not let my judgment be bound by an ideology.
I will use an example. I had a woman criticize the idea of me dusting my birds. She explained that seven dust would kill bees. Certainly it will, but I have never seen any bees under my bird's feathers. When I said that, she stated that it was bad for the birds. I asked her if the mites were good for my birds. She did not have a reply, but I was waiting for her to defend the mites. I did not bother explaining to her that I did not spray my fruit trees or shrubs or point out all my bee boxes for NATIVE bees, or flowers that we have planted specifically for them and the butterflies. It would not have done any good. The seven dust bothered her. It was an emotional reaction.
A lot of it is whether or not something is good or bad is if it is used responsibly, and whether or not it is effective.
On the other hand, I have learned and tried many herbal treatments for myself. I take licorice root instead of a steroid that was prescribed to me. For different reasons I feel it is safer. But it is not safe when used blindly. It depletes potassium so I have to check my blood potassium levels semi regularly in order to avoid more heart rhythm problems. It is natural but that does not make it safe. It is safer than my alternative, but it is not as effective. If what I took it for was worse, I would have to take the steroid.
I agree with the notion to be as natural as possible, realizing that there is nothing natural about confining birds to a couple acres for years consecutively either. Concerning human medicine I wish their was more economic incentive to more studies into herbal alternatives. That and a better standard of uniform quality for those alternatives. I asked a Mayo doctor about one in particular, and his response that studies have shown it's benefits. However, he could not professionally recommend it because their was no standard for quality. I take it anyways.
So the summary of it all is that we can drift towards extremes. There are a lot of management options, both good and bad. The best we can do is make our own best decisions. If there is a better, safer, effective method that is "more natural" it certainly should be used. The end result is what matters.
I believe that non pharma methods are usually better whether organic or synthetic.
