[holistic-hens]

Essential oils as an evidence-based alternative to antibiotics in chicken feed?

As the poultry industry tries to get away from routine antibiotic use, they're looking for different options (not out of the goodness of their hearts - eventually they will be forced to, so that we don't all die from infections of antibiotic resistant bacteria). Essential oils from plants like oregano and garlic are proving to be good for overall chicken health as well as specifically for coccidiosis and salmonella.

Capitalizing on this, you can now find chicken feed with oregano and other essential oils - marketing ploy or science? Maybe a little bit of both!

Sources:

The usefulness of oregano and its derivatives in poultry nutrition

Origanum vulgare is a natural, less toxic, residue free feed supplement for poultry when compared to other synthetic ingredients. It contain

Effects of dietary essential oil supplementation on growth performance, carcass yield, meat quality, and intestinal tight junctions of broil

The effects of dietary supplementation of essential oil on growth performance, carcass yield, meat quality, serum antioxidant capacity, and

Effect of Plant-Derived Antimicrobials, Eugenol, Carvacrol, and β-Resorcylic Acid against Salmonella on Organic Chicken Wings and Carcasses

Organic poultry constitutes a sizeable segment of the American organic commodities market. However, processors have limited strategies that

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this is Mama, the matriarch of our flock, checking in with me on Important Matters

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Hmmmmmmm

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107 degrees outside! Ice water to keep the chickens cool. Fortunately there is plenty of shade too. Nibsy is panting in the back, Nilla is taking a drink, and Adelaide is on the side, waiting her turn.

Heads up to chicken keepers who normally put vinegar in their chicken's water - it isn't good for them in times of heat stress. Fascinating explanation of why vinegar can be good (or bad) here:

Vinegar in Your Chickens' Water — Good Idea or Not? — Gail Damerow's Blog

Whether or not adding vinegar to your chickens' drinking water is a good idea depends largely on their health and on the ambient temperature

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This little puffball is Whispers. We don't have a rooster, her motherly ambitions are futile. I am treating her gently, taking her out of the coop multiple times a day, giving her treats and making sure she drinks, and removing all the eggs from the nest boxes. More drastic measures aren't warranted yet, hoping she will snap out of it soon. This is her second bout of broody this year!

[holistic-hens]

What is the deal with black soldier fly larvae (BSFL)?

They have good nutritional value (interesting study below), and they can be raised on food waste - feeding your chickens something other than food crops that could be feeding humans.

Nutritional Composition of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens L.) and Its Potential Uses as Alternative Protein Sources in Animal D

The rapidly growing population has increased demand for protein quantities and, following a shortage of plant-based feed protein sources and