Protecting Hens from Japan Fallout!

[Hope49]

Fantastic - I'm on it!

 

[BlackBart]

huh
http://enenews.com/fukushima-forecast-radioactive-particles-concentrated-northwest-april-6-video

 

[Hope49]

Hi BlackBart! I took a look at your chart, and yes, it's alarming, until you look closer. I'm new at it, and unskilled, but I have learned that usually the most alarming charts show up as "total column", which means all the way from surface measurements to up where the precipitation is. And it's the precipitation that brings the particles down to our precious crops and soil (and chickens). So when I look at those charts, I always click on the button for "surface" - and then I see what we are getting at ground level (providing it's not raining!).

I also found out about something else today - it's called Zeolite. I read that they are pouring Zeolite by the bagfulls to decomtaminate the soil around the Japan reactors, so I looked it up. Turns out it's good for detoxing SOIL, and also good for chickens. You might already know this, but I feel so excited about it. You can Google Zeolite, radiation, detox, poultry, whatever - and get tons of info about it to decide for yourselves. Here are a few -

http://www.bearriverzeolite.com/BRZ Pages/poultry.html

http://midwestzeolite.com/STORE.html

http://www.detoxradiation.com/radiation-and-zeolite/does-zeolite-help-detox-radiation/

Just my 2 cents for the day. Nothing is going to keep me from getting my chicks, but still working on coop design, location. I understand they don't want their nest boxes in the hot sun, hah, neither would I!

Why do so many coops have the roosts over the nest boxes, doesn't that bother the laying hens to have chickens jumping around and pooping over them? I know you could cover the nest boxes with nice cleanable tops - maybe it's just a space / design issue.

 

[redhen]

Well that sucks...

 

[wingsofglory]

If the nest boxes are higher than the roosts, they sleep in the nests and poop all night long in them. They like to sleep as high as they can get is why you see nest boxes lower than the roosts - but don't place them right under where they poop from the roosts.

Many put a sloping lid on the nest boxes. On this forum search "Opa's rollaway nest boxes" for some good designs - he has a two box setup and a six to nine box setup. Easy to make these out of plywood. It prevents the hens from developing egg eating behaviour in the winter, which is something so easy to prevent and impossible to change once it starts - the hens watch and the whole flock picks it up - and it is so sad to have to get rid of them all and start over. I don't buy older hens but it is so likely they are being sold because they are egg eaters.

Iodine is not only for the thyroid. It is absolutely necessary for the health and function of each cell. It is especially used by the thyroid and ovaries. And hens ovary function is very important.

Rain washes the particles into the soil. Might consider a tarp or roofing over their run.

 

[Cass]

Quote:
Agreed Iodine is necessary in the diet, but this thread is about protecting chickens from fallout of the Japan nuclear disaster. Over dosing on Iodine is to protect the thyroid gland from radioactive Iodine in the "fall out" from nuclear plants. I have not heard of iodine concentrating in the ovaries of any species, so it is not necessary to increase the iodine in the diet of chickens to cope with the *possible* fall out from Japan.

 

[BlackBart]

I thought you supposed to take Potassium Iodide?

I don't know what the difference is, anyway, thats what I take for low thyroid.

 

[BunsNChicks]

Radioactive fallout is a big concern for many people...and then their are others who believe our government If you want to help protect yourself and your animals I have heard adding calcium to the diet, increase your intake of iodine rich foods (don't just take a supplement), take Chorella and Curcumin, and take precursors to gluthione . These things aren't going to hurt you and if there isn't radiation floating around us this diet will help with overall detoxification and building a healthy immune system. That being said I take these supps (as do my dogs) and then I swish them down with an icecold corona

My father who is a Master Herbalist sent me this excerpt from an article on decontamination;

Modifilan seaweed: a highly concentrated form of seaweed containing lots of
natural iodine and other natural components. Modifilan was formulated to help
the detoxification and recovery of the victims of Chernobyl. It’s WAY better in
my mind than taking a bunch of potassium iodide. There are numerous online
sources.
· Eat iodine-rich seafood and seaweeds/sea vegetables. Kelp noodles, by the
way, are lovely. You will never miss pasta.
· Calcium (ionic or another bioavailable form—avoid calcium carbonate) can
help block the uptake of radioactive Strontium (and you thought radioactive
iodine was your only problem). Be sure to also get sufficient magnesium (ionic
form or trans-dermal magnesium “oil”)
· Potassium rich foods and supplements (but don’t go too crazy with the
supplementation) can help thwart radioactive Cesium uptake.
· Siberian ginseng has supposedly been shown to help reduce damage caused by
radiation (and is excellent adrenal support, to-boot)
· Chlorella (broken cell-wall) has been used as far back as WWII to help flush
radiation from the body
· Turmeric is powerfully helpful for reducing free radical activity and
inflammation
· Astaxanthin – potent singlet oxygen free radical scavenger
· Glutathione or GSH (avoid glutathione pills, as glutathione cannot be
directly absorbed through the GI tract). Transdermal glutathione preparations
(such as Oxi-Cell and Super Oxi-Cell made by Apex Energetics) and the use of
glutathione precursors are best. Precursors include NAC (N-acetylcysteine),
alpha lipoic acid, vitamin D, sulfur-rich foods, SAMe (s-adenosylmethionine).
Radiation literally decimates the body’s supply of glutathione. Diminished
glutathione levels greatly elevate cellular vulnerability to oxidative stress.
Critical antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase is dependent on
selenium/vitamin E (only mixed tocopherols rich in gamma tocopherol in a
glycerine base—NOT soybean or canola oil!).

 

[gymbeau]

Perhaps if those concerned would find some factual information, it would alleviate some of the fears.

Fallout - this is the dirt/dust that gets airborne after a blast, there hasn't been one.

Reactors - they are fine, not problem with those, it's the spent fuel rods in a cooling pond that is the problem.
(poor design/location)

Think of radiation as cars on a highway. If you put a bunch of Japanese cars on the highway, there is less room
for the American cars. So there are about the same number of cars on a given stretch of highway just *different*
cars.

Almost everything has radiation, we are exposed continuously, it's just different radiation, no worse, no better.

This is something of an over simplification, but, I hope puts things in perspective.

Read up on the effects of Chernobyl, where is all the death and destruction? There were no measurable increases
in cancer occurances, but definite uptick in cure rates of cancer. This probably is the results of the effected being
screened better.

We each have to decide how we will act and react. Fear, whether rational or not, is still fear.

 

[Gargoyle]

No need to worry. I know someone who lives in Sendai, someone brought in a very high level radiation tester to his classroom yesterday. The radiation levels were way higher than what the government claims, but still very low in terms of actual risk. Sendai was "ground zero" for the tsunami, and just 36 miles from the Fukushima nuclear reactors.

The official government reading yesterday in Sendai was 0.01 microsieverts/hour, whereas the actual reading outside his classroom was 0.5 microsieverts.
For comparison, you get 0.1 microsievert from eating a banana, 1.0 microsievert from an arm xray, 10 microsieverts from a normal day activity on this planet, and 3 millesieverts (3000 microsieverts) from a mammogram.