The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

I eat a lot of garlic. Love it. I have been a lot healthier since doing so. It does work.

Just don't have the time to do it for the birds I guess. Garlic is not that cheap. How much would you feed them anyway?

I've heard about folks putting it in the water on occasion for prevention of worms. Garlic also acts as a natural antibiotic if used topically but it has to be used within about a 5 min. window to be effective like that.

So far I've just used ACV in the water and haven't done garlic but I'm thinking there are probably others here that use it... anyone?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks, friend!

As to the garlic question- I have only fed it once. Shortly after everyone got acclimated to FF. Just wanted to do a little prevent-defense on the worm possibility. Unlike chemical wormer, it won't hurt them even if they don't have worms, and I don't have to waste eggs waiting for it to clear their systems.

Rachel - how did you feed...in the water or otherwise..and how much/how long?

 

[Crafty-Duck]

I have been giving them a couple of cloves every other week! I just started doing this!!! but I may take a few weeks off I don't want to over do it!!! As for garlic not being cheap I grow my own so I have a ton! of it.On the off weeks I have been adding ACV to their water.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I grow garlicso I dont worry about the cost. I feed it once a week, sometimes more, they love it actually.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I haven't tried garlic on my chickens but I did use cayenne pepper and pumpkin seeds about a month ago as a natural wormer, I'll probably not worm again till spring and if we can come up with how much to use I may try the garlic out on them,.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Rachel - how did you feed...in the water or otherwise..and how much/how long?

I used crushed garlic bits and added it to the FF bucket the night before. I then just fed them their FF ration like I always do.
I would not do this again. Next time, I will add it directly to their FF in the bucket I feed from. I didn't like the garlic-y-ness in my FF factory bucket. So I made a new batch the next day.

As to how much, I would say a pretty good sized glug. Maybe more of a sploosh!

Oh! For folks starting a new batch of FF, consider using the Almanac's 'best days' chart. Surely this is the same sort of function as making saurkraut or pickles.
http://www.almanac.com/bestdays/timetable
It also gives the best days for butchering, too FYI. I always do mine on the suggested days.
Just throwing that out there.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Miss Lydia,

I think it may be northern fowl mites. I'll have to check in the day for them, but they seem to live on the bird. Maybe I'm just checking at the wrong times..

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to redust this time for sure, and probably will remove the deep litter anyway.

These mites were attached to the vent feathers, i ended up trimming the feathers off back there, I felt so bad about not catching them earlier, i watch my chickens like a hawk[no pun intended] and did not notice anything out of the ordinary until I went to pick up and egg and saw mites crawling on it, Oh my gosh freaked me out,. I did go out several times after dark and stuck my hand in the deep litter along the walls and had mites climbing on my hand. but I have done it since treating with the neem and haven't seen any. I think thats the key making sure to follow up after the initial treatment.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Just wanted to say I am really grateful for having found this thread before I was already behind 200 pages or so!!!

 

[Crafty-Duck]

I just read that it is thought that mites,lice,ticks and other parasites are not attracted to the blood of animals who eat a lot of garlic.
(I know I don't have to worry I eat a lot of garlic daily)

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

I just read that it is thought that mites,lice,ticks and other parasites are not attracted to the blood of animals who eat a lot of garlic.
(I know I don't have to worry I eat a lot of garlic daily)

Crafty-Duck, whose quote is that in your signature? I looooove it!