Peppermint Leaves as Food Additive: Article from World Poultry

[lazy gardener]

You can feed them citrus fruit. Most just don't like it much. I wonder where those rumors get started. Citronella is different from citrus fruit. It's a very strong smelling aromatic.

I use a bit of citronella in my nest boxes and have found it to be a good mite deterrent. i had an infestation late in summer of 2013. Did a clean out + treated birds x 2. All clear until spring 2014, when I found a couple of juvenile mites in the nest box. I bought a citronella plant and put a chopped leaf in the bottom of each box. No mites detected since then. Now, I do agree regarding birds being sensitive to aromatics. Not just chickens, but all birds. Any how, I have asthma, and give the strength of anything I put in the coop a nose test. Though species vary, if my nose tolerates it w/o complaint, I figure the birds are good to go. Will continue using small dose of aromatics in the nest box, as I figure that is less problematic than using insecticides.

 

[triplepurpose]

I use a bit of citronella in my nest boxes and have found it to be a good mite deterrent. i had an infestation late in summer of 2013. Did a clean out + treated birds x 2. All clear until spring 2014, when I found a couple of juvenile mites in the nest box. I bought a citronella plant and put a chopped leaf in the bottom of each box. No mites detected since then. Now, I do agree regarding birds being sensitive to aromatics. Not just chickens, but all birds. Any how, I have asthma, and give the strength of anything I put in the coop a nose test. Though species vary, if my nose tolerates it w/o complaint, I figure the birds are good to go. Will continue using small dose of aromatics in the nest box, as I figure that is less problematic than using insecticides.

Hey, sounds great to me! I might experiment with something similar in conjunction with or in place of the DE we periodically use.

You know, it boggles my mind how some people will work themselves into a tizzy over the perceived deadly threat of the birds coming anywhere near, say, avocado, or poisonous weeds, or parasites, or whatever they think might be potentially harmful if ingested--but then spray their coop down with insecticides/fungicides or other highly potent synthetics known to be harmful.

 

[speckledhen]

I use a bit of citronella in my nest boxes and have found it to be a good mite deterrent. i had an infestation late in summer of 2013. Did a clean out + treated birds x 2. All clear until spring 2014, when I found a couple of juvenile mites in the nest box. I bought a citronella plant and put a chopped leaf in the bottom of each box. No mites detected since then. Now, I do agree regarding birds being sensitive to aromatics. Not just chickens, but all birds. Any how, I have asthma, and give the strength of anything I put in the coop a nose test. Though species vary, if my nose tolerates it w/o complaint, I figure the birds are good to go. Will continue using small dose of aromatics in the nest box, as I figure that is less problematic than using insecticides.

A plant might be different than the oils in say, the wound ointments. That can kill a chicken and they do not have warnings on the labels about it, either.

 

[speckledhen]

Though not really related to the peppermint thing, another article of interest. Russia has banned import of chicken from the U.S.
http://www.worldpoultry.net/Broiler...|2014-12-05|Russia_bans_imports_of_US_poultry

Part of that article says:


Quote:

 

[lazy gardener]

You go Russia!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Sure makes you think about doing your own meat birds, eh? There was already an embargo, but it was lifted, seems they still don't want chicken from here. Can't blame them, knowing what I know.

ETA: I remember reading something about excessive chlorine from the dipping of the carcasses, too, but I can't remember the meat of that article I read years ago. Anyway, just thought it mildly interesting (not wanting any political discussion about anything, please).

I'm seeing lots of bird flu articles again in that magazine. Might be good for you to just subscribe to the newsletter to see what good you can get from it. I won't post any other article links unless they are specifically related to feeding chickens.