Vodka for chickens?!

[Smileybans]

Tinctures are classically made with high proof alcohol. Typically you are only ingesting like a dropper full (for humans) so the alcohol is not a big deal. If you are uncomfortable using it on your chickens, use the vegetable glycerin. It is basically a plant sugar.

I never gave my chickens tinctures, but I did run an herbal business where I formulated and made MANY tinctures using both alcohol and glycerin for human consumption. All the herbs on that list have well known benefits.

FYI: Alcohol is a more complete solvent. It more fully breaks down a wider variety of plant components. Also has longer shelf life. Glycerin's winning attribute is it is totally benign. It is thick and kind of hard to work with at room temp. It often requires double boiling low and slow heating with your herbs in it for a few hours to get a good extraction. I have never given my chickens tincture, or herbs for that matter. But I have taken lots myself! Just thought I would share some knowledge on tinctures in general. Don't be thrown off by the vodka if you want to do it. Alcohol is a tried and true solvent for extracting medicine from plants. But if your husbandry is all squared away, your chickens' respiratory systems should take care of themselves! No need for a preventative. If they are alreadhy sick, skip the herbs and get them veterinary medicine.

Tinctures are dope though. Make that one and use it yourself. We could all use a little respiratory strength these days.

Hope this helped a little.

This actually did help a lot. I had never heard of a tincture before and had no idea what it even was. I don’t use herbal remedies that much for really anything. I love to grow herbs but don’t know a lot about their medicinal properties. So seeing this surprised me. Thank you for explaining it further.

I agree on the good bio security as a preventative. I was just curious about this article since it was all about using natural remedies for chickens. Like the bumble foot one says to put coconut oil on it and wrap it. I think natural remedies have their place in a tool box of many.

I was also imagining drunk chickens. Like when someone gives their dog beer instead of water because they’ve been drinking too much. There are too many videos like that out there.

 

[Tre3hugger]

I think natural remedies have their place in a tool box of many.

Nailed it!! I also think animals, specifically birds, tend not to really present illness until the are quite sick. Too late for the herbs to truly remedy it. Like the bumblefoot example. Sure, coconut oil is an antimicrobial. It combats bacterial microbes. But it is not going to fight a full blown fecal infection of the foot. If you put coconut oil on the cut on the foot BEFORE bumblefoot occurs, it'd probably help slow/prevent the bumblefoot. IMO, it will not cure it though.

I think if you want to give your girls some herbs, and you already grow them, just give them the extras from the herb garden! They will appreciate the freshness, and you don't have to process the plants. Win win!

 

[Tre3hugger]

Also just wanted to add. Apple Cider Vinegar (with mother preferably) is another common tincture solvent. And probably the most appropriate for chickens. In case you did want to go that route.

 

[Brooks_]

I don't see any harm in a dropper of vodka in a gallon of water. I also don't see any benefit of a dropper of tincture in a gallon of water. As a daily dietary supplement, maybe. But as @Tre3hugger said the ACV would be the best most appropriate solvent.

 

[Smileybans]

I think it would be interesting to give the tincture a try, for me and my chickens, since I’ve never made anything like it. I’m of the mind if it isn’t going to hurt them then it’s worth a try. I don’t expect miracles to happen, or really anything, but I might try it. With the ACV for the chickens. I’ve tried drinking that stuff myself and just can’t do it.

 

[RubyLady]

I've used and made plant medicine (including tinctures) most of my adult life (more than 40 years). There is a study of the use of echinacea purpurea (humans should be using echinacea angustifolia) and elderberry that shows a decrease in viral shedding of avian flu infected chickens. They did use an ethanol extract of echinacea and a water extract of elderberry - which would be similar to an alcohol tincture of echinacea and homemade boiled down and strained elderberry syrup sans honey or sugar. I can't speak to the concentrations, however; we'd need a biochemist to explain that. I found the study below because I was curious as to whether elderberry had any proof of working on chickens.

Some constituents in plants are more effectively extracted in alcohol, some in water, some in vinegar. Because 100 proof vodka is half water, both the water-soluble and alcohol-soluble constituents get extracted. Vinegar and glycerin will get some but not all and not necessarily the anti-virals.

The question becomes: can chickens tolerate some alcohol? Considering a human dropperful of tincture is actually half a dropperful (they never fill all the way) and about 25 drops of tincture, my guess would be that a chicken dose would only be a couple of drops anyway.

Elderberry has had massive European studies done that show it contains a protein that inhibits viruses from attaching to enzyme receptors on human cells which is why people have been swearing by homemade preparations of it for so centuries.

Since all medicines originated in nature from plants, minerals, animal material, it would be a little short-sighted to suggest ONLY synthetically-derived chemicals treat and cure. However, nothing works all the time in all cases naturally or synthetically and as long as you are using high quality items in either case and have some knowledge, or know someone who does, of plant and chemical medicine and you use proper dosing, then it should be alright. As long as chickens can tolerate some alcohol which is still an unanswered question for me.

https://www.researchgate.net/public...ing_in_H9N2_avian_influenza_infected_chickens

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I've used and made plant medicine (including tinctures) most of my adult life (more than 40 years). There is a study of the use of echinacea purpurea (humans should be using echinacea angustifolia) and elderberry that shows a decrease in viral shedding of avian flu infected chickens. They did use an ethanol extract of echinacea and a water extract of elderberry - which would be similar to an alcohol tincture of echinacea and homemade boiled down and strained elderberry syrup sans honey or sugar. I can't speak to the concentrations, however; we'd need a biochemist to explain that. I found the study below because I was curious as to whether elderberry had any proof of working on chickens.

Some constituents in plants are more effectively extracted in alcohol, some in water, some in vinegar. Because 100 proof vodka is half water, both the water-soluble and alcohol-soluble constituents get extracted. Vinegar and glycerin will get some but not all and not necessarily the anti-virals.

The question becomes: can chickens tolerate some alcohol? Considering a human dropperful of tincture is actually half a dropperful (they never fill all the way) and about 25 drops of tincture, my guess would be that a chicken dose would only be a couple of drops anyway.

Elderberry has had massive European studies done that show it contains a protein that inhibits viruses from attaching to enzyme receptors on human cells which is why people have been swearing by homemade preparations of it for so centuries.

Since all medicines originated in nature from plants, minerals, animal material, it would be a little short-sighted to suggest ONLY synthetically-derived chemicals treat and cure. However, nothing works all the time in all cases naturally or synthetically and as long as you are using high quality items in either case and have some knowledge, or know someone who does, of plant and chemical medicine and you use proper dosing, then it should be alright. As long as chickens can tolerate some alcohol which is still an unanswered question for me.

https://www.researchgate.net/public...ing_in_H9N2_avian_influenza_infected_chickens

When we got our first chicken, it was a cockerel.
One night I made sangria, after drinking it, we threw the fruit to the cockerel. He scarfed it down and then began to walk somewhat side ways. He was little goofy until bed time, but was able to roost without a problem and was fine the next morning. Don't know if this helps, but I hope it does.

 

[Marie2020]

I've used and made plant medicine (including tinctures) most of my adult life (more than 40 years). There is a study of the use of echinacea purpurea (humans should be using echinacea angustifolia) and elderberry that shows a decrease in viral shedding of avian flu infected chickens. They did use an ethanol extract of echinacea and a water extract of elderberry - which would be similar to an alcohol tincture of echinacea and homemade boiled down and strained elderberry syrup sans honey or sugar. I can't speak to the concentrations, however; we'd need a biochemist to explain that. I found the study below because I was curious as to whether elderberry had any proof of working on chickens.

Some constituents in plants are more effectively extracted in alcohol, some in water, some in vinegar. Because 100 proof vodka is half water, both the water-soluble and alcohol-soluble constituents get extracted. Vinegar and glycerin will get some but not all and not necessarily the anti-virals.

The question becomes: can chickens tolerate some alcohol? Considering a human dropperful of tincture is actually half a dropperful (they never fill all the way) and about 25 drops of tincture, my guess would be that a chicken dose would only be a couple of drops anyway.

Elderberry has had massive European studies done that show it contains a protein that inhibits viruses from attaching to enzyme receptors on human cells which is why people have been swearing by homemade preparations of it for so centuries.

Since all medicines originated in nature from plants, minerals, animal material, it would be a little short-sighted to suggest ONLY synthetically-derived chemicals treat and cure. However, nothing works all the time in all cases naturally or synthetically and as long as you are using high quality items in either case and have some knowledge, or know someone who does, of plant and chemical medicine and you use proper dosing, then it should be alright. As long as chickens can tolerate some alcohol which is still an unanswered question for me.

https://www.researchgate.net/public...ing_in_H9N2_avian_influenza_infected_chickens

This is a very interesting thought. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Marie2020]

When we got our first chicken, it was a cockerel.
One night I made sangria, after drinking it, we threw the fruit to the cockerel. He scarfed it down and then began to walk somewhat side ways. He was little goofy until bed time, but was able to roost without a problem and was fine the next morning. Don't know if this helps, but I hope it does.

I hope his liver is ok.

What are you going to use for the almighty hang over

 

[RubyLady]

This is a very interesting thought. Thanks for sharing.

You're welcome. I'm no authority on natural chicken medicine, but I think the topic is interesting.