The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Bethel3330]

another hen who was broody a couple of weeks ago was on another nest also growling...broodiness seems to be contagious.

Goodness! Sounds like you have been busy!
Regarding the above, I would not be a bit surprised, given how hormones work. Seeing or being around another broody might trigger it the same way leaving eggs in a nest could. Would be interesting to find out if there's anything to that.

 

[Leahs Mom]

What kind of dish soap - who knew it could be that easy!

The only soap I had heard of for using this way is Shaklee's Basic H.

If I were guessing on how it worked I would say it washes off a protective coating on the worm. I do not know that to be a fact, just guessing as to how it would work.

Yes, Shaklee is the one because of the surfactants. And yes, it does wash off their protective coating.

Not all soap works, but for sure the Shaklee's basic H soap can be used to deworm and should be much easier on the system than the chemical wormers. I had first read about it in Joel Salatin's books. Cattlemen use it quite frequently and I believe it is still approved for use on organic farms too.

Some basic H info: (Note under wetting agent - cutting the protective coating on insects...I believe it is the surfactants that cause that.)
http://lindholm.myshaklee.com/us/en/about_farmranch_basic_h.html

I have a bottle in my chicken first-aid stuff but have never used it yet.

Here is the info from Joel Salatin's Book on the basic H as they used it for cattle:



Quote:
Copyright Material quoted for educational purposes only.
Salad Bar Beef by Joel Salatin
Pages 164-166
Copyright 1995 by Joel Salatin












More info on surfactants:
Quote:

http://www.shaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=00015

Edited because a linked page no longer exists.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Now...after posting all that...

I DO NOT - AND DON'T RECOMMEND - ROUTINE WORMING!

Worming causes significant stress on the system and doing it routinely can cause more problems than it solves - including weakening the animal's own immune system and making them more susceptible to....WORMS!!!!!!! I would never put them through that stress "just in case".

If I see symptoms that make me think there is a problem, it is not a significant cost to take a stool sample to a local vet to find out if worms are present. Usually less than $10. For the undue stress that it causes their system to do routine chemical worming, it is worth it to find out if they need it and specifically what kinds of worms they may have.


When we butchered some roos that we did for learning, I cut open the intestinal tract of both of them to look for any signs of worms. Also looked at internal organs closely. There were no signs of worms in these boys even though they weren't raised the way I would raise chickens and they would have been prime candidates for worms.

Part of the reason that we are "natural" chicken keepers is to try to provide the most healthy environment possible for our chickens so that they have strong immunities. Plenty of room to roam, fresh air and sunshine, good feed, deep litter in any confinement runs and the hen house....all of these things help with that. Hopefully most of us are attentive to the health and appearance of our birds and can detect if something is "off" and can look for the CAUSE so that in the future those things can be prevented. PREVENTION is the focus!!!!!

My oldest chickens are 2.5 years old and have never been wormed. I would do so if there were symptoms and if a fecal confirmed that was an issue. So far I've never had a need.

 

[Kassaundra]

The thing I find most awesome about this idea is that there is no such thing as "building a tolerance"

 

[Leahs Mom]

The thing I find most awesome about this idea is that there is no such thing as "building a tolerance"

And that is one of the reasons that using pharmaceutical antibiotics, wormers, pesticides, herbicides is very dangerous for our health and the health of the land comparatively.

 

[LindaB220]

The thing I find most awesome about this idea is that there is no such thing as "building a tolerance"

Kassaundra, I had totally forgotten how good Basic H is. AND I can buy it on Amazon. I never have to leave the house.

No I'm not a hermit, but pretty close.

 

[Leahs Mom]

So...
@SallyinIndiana
Sally - what has your experience been w/the dish soap? Have you used it when you knew there was a worm issue? And did you see results that were measurable?

Besides Sally, has anyone else used dish soap or Shaklee for worming successfully?

 

[LindaB220]

So...
@SallyinIndiana
Sally - what has your experience been w/the dish soap? Have you used it when you knew there was a worm issue? And did you see results that were measurable?

Besides Sally, has anyone else used dish soap or Shaklee for worming successfully?

I looked them up (you can buy on Amazon) and they have a livestock page so farmers are using it for cattle etc.
I knew that I had read up on it.

Leah's mom wrote on it above.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

So...
@SallyinIndiana
Sally - what has your experience been w/the dish soap? Have you used it when you knew there was a worm issue? And did you see results that were measurable?

Besides Sally, has anyone else used dish soap or Shaklee for worming successfully?

I have put the dish soap in the water a few times. I also have used the pepper and garlic in the winter cold after it was mentioned on this thread. If I see 1 or 2 worms, I tend to try something to prevent an overload. I have not had an overload in my chickens. I have only seen a worm in the poo 3 times in 3 years. But I use the soap as a prevention when the first cold spell hits and in the spring when there is mainly mud everywhere. So I'm thinking I have used it about 3 times a year or less.
No real visible results other than I did not see a worm in the poo for about another year. Egg production picked up after the spring use and dropped after the fall use. I'm going with the soap did not change the natural egg production. We have processed several roosters and a few injured hens. Not a one had worms that were visible. Processing has taken place at different times of the year. I like to think that the soap along with the pepper worked really well as a prevention and maybe a stop for a small outbreak. Also I'm of the mindset that seeing 1 worm in a poo mound does not mean overload.

I don't use an official de-wormer and don't really have plans to if at all possible.

 

[Leahs Mom]

The 3 kiddos - 9 weeks old. (Swedish Flower Hens)


3 HAPPY KIDDOS (They're happy because they don't have crests )