I don't know everything, really, I don't...tell me the solution to your story

LaurieLovesLearning
LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

I had a mystery issue with my little Serama rooster. I thought maybe he had bugs...after a check, I saw none. Then with ongoing and strange behaviors that affected his head & balance, I thought ear mites. I treated...nope, not that either. I didn't think it was worms because he has always been strictly indoors & isolated from outside chickens & wild birds, but it could be possible, I guess.

This went on for months. I felt really had & would apologize to him telling him I wish I could stop whatever it was, but I just couldn't figure it out. It was very confusing & frustrating. I hoped it wasn't any type of epilepsy thing going on. The father rooster seemed to have an issue where he'd fall of his perch a few times every night.

I decided to give him a bit of cayenne powder (it deworms) & fine garlic powder (makes him taste bad to bugs, and both spices should do more for health anyway) in with his feed, like, shake it in a container & hope it coats & sticks to the feed. Then I put it his feed in his dish. I hoped I'd hit the problem with "both barrels." I had nothing to lose & neither did he, except on the off chance, his malady

I no longer see him shaking & moving odd. I no longer see him trying to do whatever (shake scratch) with his head. I no longer see him almost fall over from doing these things. He is crowing better & a bit more often because he feels good.

I still don't know what it was, but I know that when I have a true mystery, and it shows similar, I have a new combo ally, and I keep learning.

Do you have any stories of times when you were frustrated & just didn't know it all but through trial & error, found a solution? Can you share the situation & your successful solution/resolution?

Comments

  • nicksamanda11
    nicksamanda11 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭✭

    Years ago I was presented with a large infected laceration and feared the hospital could cause further issues of infection. I ran through some ideas and landed on honey for serious wound healing. I would give it an overnight try and if nothing changed I would make a different plan.

    So, I prayed then I filled the cut with honey, slathered the bandage too, wrapped it up nice and snug and leak proof and checked it the next morning. Incredible- the red angry infection was gone. Just gone!

    I continued to keep it wrapped in honey, changing it every 24 hours for 2 weeks and it healed beautifully. I was impressed.

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    @LaurieLovesLearning I had a friend once who had a mare & foal, foal about 3 months of age. In a storm one night the foal got injured, ran into a fence & had the most horrific gash in its chest. They called me to come have a look & see what I thought. Foal was very nervous and unhandled & mum wasn’t happy about us taking so much interest in her baby. I assured them it would heal, it was just muscle & no bone involved. ( wounds on legs another problem, proud flesh being an issue)

    So, we needed to get something on that wound to promote healing but not stress out mum & baby. Manuka honey! They ended up leading the mare into the cattle yards, up the race & the foal followed & then someone would gently wipe/pat some honey onto the foals chest about every 2nd day. The foal also liked the taste of the honey & licked its own chest & kept the site very clean, after a few months it healed up beautifully with a hairline scar you could hardly notice.

    I do like your thought process on the garlic & cayenne though & I do remember Doc Jones saying that he has fixed more issues in his veterinary practice with cayenne, than any other herb. Interesting!

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    At one point my husband had to be out of town for a couple months helping his folks out, of course it was during January and February. The two coldest, snowiest months. I was working full time, plus taking care of 150 or so chickens, 4 sheep and the dog. Tripped and fell coming out of one of the coops. Bruised one knee very badly and the other one slightly.

    Found bloody poo in one of the coops but could not tell who from. No medicine on hand for it. (Bloody poo is usually a sign of Coccidiosis) After thinking about it a bit, I added some of my fire cider to their water everyday. Cleaned out the coop, then watched for any more bloody poo. Never saw any more.

    When I make cider I add many extras such as oregano, blueberries, and other medicinal herbs and such. I knew oregano was good for infections and all the other goodies in the fire cider should help do something. Apparently the parasites that cause Coccidiosis didn't like it or it was caused by something else. Either was we have continued to give them fire cider at least once or twice a week since then,

    As for honey, I have used it on burns and cuts with great results. My cousin is an Apiarist (beekeeper) in Florida. He shared some honey information years ago which included a story with pictures of someone with severe burns . The wounds were treated with honey and over a long period of time they healed very well with only minor scarring. It was amazing how well they healed being such large and severe burns.