OLD TIME REMEDIES FOR COMMON POULTRY DISEASES
Even with modern medicines, chickens can still get sick. Here are remedies that use simple, cheap, and easily available ingredients.
Even with modern antibiotics and premixed medicated poultry
rations, chickens still get sick . . . sometimes with
fairly lethal diseases that can sweep quickly through a
flock. We rely on our few hens for their eggs and want them
to be healthy-for their sake and ours-so we started digging
around in the older farm books and asking questions about
the birds' ailments. The remedies we came up with use
simple, cheap, easily available ingredients and methods
that are surprisingly like those frequently employed in
home nursing.
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Since the best cure of all is prevention; knowing something
in advance of your flock's needs can ward off a lot of
trouble. Basically, chickens should be kept warm and dry,
get plenty of exercise and eat a well-balanced diet . . .
sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Hens left to roam will satisfy their dietary needs and
busily keep the local bug population under control (just
take care to protect the vegetable garden, because the
birds also love young green stuff ).
Onions and garlic fed regularly are a natural preventative
of any worms that might be thinking of a home in your
fowls' warm innards, and sour milk or buttermilk mixed in
their feed or drinking water will deter diarrhea. Feet and
droppings in food or drink are a potential source of
infection when birds are confined so equip your chicken
house with feeders and watering equipment that force the
biddies to observe sanitary table manners.
New birds should be quarantined a few days before joining
an existing flock and, to control the spread of parasites
and disease, henhouse's and brooders should be thoroughly
aired and whitewashed between flocks.
During the winter, keep chicken house litter dry and
exposed to air by scattering scratch feed around on it
every day. This serves the added purpose of providing the
hens with exercise so that they stay warm and healthy. On
especially cold mornings try adding one tablespoon of
kerosene to their drinking water as a pick-me-up.
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