What do you do to keep your flock healthy (mite/lice free)?

[FishMtFarm]

I tend to be a bit cautious about feeding mine other than their feed. Yes, I raise organic mealworms, and treat the birds about twice a week. I do give them canned cat food during molt.

I heard the taurine content in cat food is not good for chickens. Have you ever had a problem?

 

[sylviethecochin]

I would imagine that any agent used to kill 'bugs', in humans or other animals, has the potential to be misused unto resistance.
Neem is touted as a holistic 'cure' for many ailments,
would think that the pharm industry had explored it long ago?

Perhaps. But there could be other reasons--Bacteriophages, a natural predator of bacteria, and highly specific to the bacteria they attack, have been shown to sometimes work very effectively on bacterial infections. But they're not FDA approved, so there's no profit in them. Therefore, no funding; therefore, no research.

 

[aart]

But they're not FDA approved, so there's no profit in them.

Usually goes the other way, they did enough research to find them not profitable enough to spend enough get to FDA approval(which is the last step), so research funding was cut.

 

[andreanar]

What is the dilution strength, and what do you mix it with for a carrier... or do you use it full strength?



How do they intend to use it? As a topical? Read any studies on the use of honey for wound treatment? I was talking with an MD the other day, and she swears by honey (a new product on the market called MediHoney) for treating chronic wounds. Says a lot of wound centers are now using honey.

I use the neem full strength on my roost boards. It doesn't mix with water, so if I had to use it for leg mites (and when I used it on my dog) I would mix with coconut oil. I hate the smell of it, its terrible!
I have mixed it in a spray bottle with water and a bit of dish soap and used it on my dogs when we had a crazy gnat issue last year. It kept the gnats off them. Something about a few drops of a detergent allows it to mix with water'

Honey! Yes! Ive used it for bedsores on patients before. Manuka Honey. (Back in the day, I also used Milk of Magnesia).

Not sure how they plan to use Neem for some things. The studies Ive read involve testing on rats, topically, internally and intravenous. I know that dermatologists suggest using it topically for some skin disorders.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes, that was it, manuka honey. The doc I was talking to said it healed a persistent heel decub that wouldn't heal with conventional care provided at a SNF, so they pulled the patient out of there, sent her home and healed her with the MH.

 

[Kiki]

It is also good for scaly leg mites, lice and northern red mites. Altho when my girls had lice/mites, I went with permithrin cause I didn't want to mess around. If I get a case of bumblefoot, I plan to put the Neem to the test and see if it really holds up to it.

This...is my kind of experiment!

Let me know if and when you do it, please!

 

[getaclue]

I heard the taurine content in cat food is not good for chickens. Have you ever had a problem?

Mine don't get it on a regular basis, just during molt, and just a little every 3 days at that time. I also switch it up with canned mackerel. By not overdoing it, I've found it to be beneficial, without any problems. I have 2 hens that are a little over 6 years old, still lay, have no health issues yet, are active, and spry.

 

[FishMtFarm]

That's good to know cause I always wanted to supplement my birds and had a real fear of cat food due to what I heard. Of course there is always dog food too and most do t have added taurine but I do t wanna make it a staple of their diet. Glad you shared that info. Thanks

 

[getaclue]

From what I've read, most studies regarding taurine were conducted using it as a feed, or at high levels as a supplement in feed, especially for chicks, and as a grower feed. Most of the studies were conducted in regards to its effect on their growth. Chickens are typically around a year old before they molt, so they're mostly developed by then. Some research suggests that taurine added to finisher feed, which is given to adults, is beneficial in preventing SDS. When checking the levels they're using for their research on a steady basis, I don't give mine anything near the levels they're talking about.
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.4141/cjas89-060

 

[getaclue]

Rule of thumb, all supplements and treats, no matter how good they seem to be, must be given in strict moderation.