How to Start Taking Care of Your Flock Naturally
Did you know that chickens breath differently than mammals? They do not have a diaphragm like mammals, and use the rib cage and breast bone to move the air in and out of the body. In addition, the lungs rely on air sacs to distribute the oxygen to the avian body. Some of the air sacs are also connected to the bones, which makes it really easy to inhale toxic levels of bad air in a short time. The physiology of chickens and how the air flows in one direction, instead of the in and out pattern of mammals, means the chickens will breath in a higher concentration of oxygen and what ever else is in the air (poultrykeeper.com).
A buildup of fumes from chicken droppings, spilled water and cleaning products irritates the delicate breathing system and leads to illness. Using a coop cleaner made with natural products will not only clean but disinfect and deodorize the coop, without irritating the chicken’s respiratory system.
Use Citrus Essential Oils for Cleaning
Lemon and other citrus fruits have natural cleaning and disinfecting capabilities. You can easily make a homemade coop cleaner that is easy on your nose and easy on the chicken’s respiratory tract. When you clean out the old shavings or coop bedding, spray down the coop with something like this recipe for Homemade Chicken Coop Deodorizing Cleaner. Allow the damp areas to dry completely before adding the clean shavings. You can also use this mixture to clean and disinfect feed bowls, water founts, cages, and the chicken crate used as a hospital for your sick or injured birds. Rinse well before re-using.
Wound Care Ointment
You can make a wound care ointment with essential oils for chicken care. Melalueca oil for wounds with Frankincense, Lavender and Coconut Oil, will pack a powerful punch against sores and open wounds. Makes a solid paste that can be scooped out with fingers or popsicle stick to apply to wound. The ointment softens quickly, and smells pleasant too. The important thing to do when treating open wounds is to keep them moist while the open wound heals. When applying the coconut and essential oil blend wound ointment the open sore will not get crusted over while the underneath skin layers heal. This will be more comfortable for the animal and help keep infection away. This recipe is very quick to make and easy to keep on hand in the barn first aid kit. It is great for helping to promote healing. This wound ointment is the one I use for superficial wounds, cuts and scrapes. We recently had a situation where I had a wounded chicken from a fox attack. I used a lot of this ointment to fight secondary infections (Read more on predator attacks here).
Wound Ointment
4 ounce container with a lid
4 ounces of solid coconut oil
12 drops lavender essential oil
12 drops frankincense essential oil
Melt the coconut oil, add the essential oils and mix. Allow to harden in the container. Ready for use! If you leave it in a warm area it will liquefy. To prevent this you can also add melted bees wax to the recipe for a more solid ointment.
Oregano as a Feed Additive for Internal Health
Oregano essential oil – There is plenty of evidence available now that shows results of using heavily diluted oregano essential oil for chicken care. Many types of uses from wound care to intestinal worms, to a replacement for routine antibiotics in flock health care and prevention. A large chicken farm in Pennsylvania, Bell and Evans Poultry, switched to using an oregano oil based feed additive instead of using any antibiotics and had great results.
How Prairie Homestead Uses Essential Oils on the Homestead
Using essential oils and chicken care can be a wonderful combination in a more natural approach to chicken keeping. As with anything that you are doing to help improve your farming practices, make sure to do your own research and ask questions until you are comfortable that the choice is the right one for you to use.
Some General Guidelines
When you are using essential oils around your animals, always make sure you are using diluted strengths. Some oils, such as peppermint or oregano, are considered “hot” oils and can burn skin. Always research the oil and its uses before using on any animal or child and make sure that you dilute the oil with an oil such as fractionated (liquid) coconut oil or liquid almond oil before applying.
I hope that this information will encourage you to try using essential oils for cleaning, disinfecting and healing around your barnyard too. If you would like more information, you are welcome to leave a comment here, or email me at garmanjanet@gmail.com.
Disclaimer : Please always consult your veterinarian before you use any homemade remedy on your animals if you feel there is any question as to it’s safety for that animal. I am not a veterinarian and post these recipes as a way of sharing information that I have had success with for my own animals and farm and home.
This post was first published on Backyard Poultry Magazine.com
I was wondering about lemon oil and chickens, because I thought feeding chickens citrus was a big no-no.
Good question Kathy. Citrus is to be avoided as a treat because excess vitamin C in the chicken diet can lead to low absorption of calcium which then can lead to weak egg shells. Using a few drops of lemon essential oil in a cleaning spray is fine. Citrus is not a toxin for chickens it just might adversely affect the eggs shells Thanks for asking a great question
-Janet
Also Kathy, citrus essential oils are made from the rind of the fruit. If vitamin C is the issue, essential oils are not nutrient dense so they do not contain vitamins.
I was wondering if I could make an eo spray for my mulch that would deter my chickens from tearing it up?
I am sorry Olivia. My chickens did the same to my garden area
Fabulous article. Thank you. I was just questioning today about the possibility of using Tea Tree oil on a chicken who just had a bloody tick pulled off (I use TTO for ticks on humans and my dog.) I printed this off and this article will be read, highlighted and filed in my “Chicken 3-ring binder for future reference.
Thank you again, Donna At the Small House Big Sky Homestead
http://smallhousebigskyhomestead.wordpress.com
Have you ever used TerraShield on your chickens to prevent mite/lice infestation? Or treatment of such bugs?
Can I put diluted oil of oregano or tea tree oil around the vent of my hen? She is about 6 years old and hasn’t been acting just right. I’ll add some oil of oregano to her food.
I don’t want to recommend that you do that. I would suggest that you try a warm bath if you think she is egg bound. The tissue in the vent area is very sensitive skin. Oregano is a very hot oil and even diluted I don’t know how it would be on that sensitive tissue. The tea tree oil is also questionable for use directly on the chicken. Chickens metabolize things differently than we do and I would hate to hear that it harmed your chicken – janet
I am into essentials oils and haqve been for some time. i always wanted to use them on my backyard chickens but didnot know how to use them. thanks for your help on several things. one other request is…. how many drops of oregano to a gallion of water for their watering. thanks i advance…. edgar mcgehee 47186 wisteria drive, hammond louisiana 70401
Edgar I would only do one or two drops of oregano oil. It is very hot and potent. Thank you for reading the post!
Hi, I am just getting back into chickens. Use doterra essential oils and was wondering what I could use for an aggressive rooster. Lavender comes to mind but was wondering how to use it. Would appreciate any insight you might have. I am copying all of the recipes you so generously supplied. Thank you.
Judy
Hi Judy. Glad my posts are helping you. I am very reluctant to treat anymore than the environment with chickens due to their respiratory systems being so fragile. I would try freshening the nests with some lavender oil, maybe just a drop or two. If I was to use it on the bird, I would make it very dilute and just watch for an adverse reaction
My chickens just came down with fowl pox, do you have any recommendations to treat with essential oils? I was told you us Tetroxy antibiotic to prevent/treat any respiratory infections that may come along with the pox but I am not too keen on giving my organic feed chickens antibiotics.
there really isn’t any need for antibiotics with a fowl pox infection. I would increase the use of holistic immune strengthening items such as fermented feed, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and maybe use a product called Nutra-drench if you have it. Its a natural combination of immune boosters and vitamins that is added to the water. Good luck and if you can keep the birds strong, they should come through the infection without complications. Essential oils used to medicate chickens is risky and I would not recommend it. I only use them to treat a wound, or to use in a spray cleaner. Even then, I am very cautious because chickens have such sensitive respiratory systems and absorb air borne particles very quickly
What are the exact essential oils that you use on the Pox sores?
I am not sure what you are referring to? I mentioned wounds from a fox. The wound care formula is listed below that section. Is that what you mean?
Hi, I enjoyed reading this very much and it has given me some great ideas. My question is about a layer that seems to have a respiratory cold, she sounds wet when she breaths, I have taken her out of the coop and brought her in the house to keep a better eye on her but was wondering what I can use around or on her to help her get better and to be able to breath better? Thank you in advance. Barbie 🙂
Hi Barbie
I don’t know that using an oil on your chicken will be helpful I tend to shy away from directly treating the chickens with oils because of their sensitive respiratory tract. I would suggest using VetRX, a commercial product that is available on line and in farm supply stores. VetRX is an herb based alcohol suspension that is intended to help chickens suffering from colds. I hope your hen recovers fully.
I live in Namibia and we cut up some Aloe leaves and put it in their drinking troughs to get rid of intestinal parasites/worms. We also use clean wood ash sprinkled over the paper shreds (from the office shredder) in the laying coops. The wood ash keeps them free from mites. Chickens are free range so suffer very little problems – biggest problems to them are the eagles that steal the chicks and the occasional baboon and monitor lizard (who steal the eggs), and pythons (who eat the chickens)! But all that is worth it as the eggs are great tasting and totally organic!
Very interesting information Lynda. Thank you for reading the post and adding your own information. – Janet
I am new to chickens and would really love to use my essential oils – especially in place of antibiotics. I am confused by a lot of peoples’ advice to add oregano oil to water since oil and water do not mix, the oil would just sit on top of the water and I don’t think that is a good idea. I would prefer to add it to the feed, I just do not know how much to add? I am assuming just a drop in the daily ration would probably do just fine seeing as essential oils are stronger than the fresh or dried herbs. And is it safe to give them as chicks, or wait until they are older?
K I would proceed with caution. Birds have very sensitive respiratory systems and digest food differently. Maybe try the fresh herbs instead of the oils.
hi love reading and learning new things, thanks…..I have some young chicks (a couple months old) sneezing, coughing, and have a rattle when they breath. got oregano oil,,,2 drops per gal,,,now,,,how long should I give it to them? Everyday with fresh water? and for how long? thank you so much. Ky Pam
Pam I really don’t have any ideas for you. It sounds like they may be sick but I am not a vet. Also since I can’t see them it is hard to give advice. I would check with a local chicken keeper about what might be going on or call the hatchery where they came from Good luck I hope they recover
I’m new to raising chickens and I’m looking for a natural way to keep flies at bay, while not harming the chickens. I’ve read that lavender and mint are fly deterrents, but I’m not sure how to use it and how much to use in the coop.
Hello Julie
If you have access to fresh herbs that you can hang in a bunch from the coop ceiling that would help repel flies. Rosemary, marjoram, mints, Basil, lavender and any of the edible aromatic herbs repel flies and pests naturally. I use a product called Herbedding that is curled shavings mixed with dried herbs. It not only repels flies it also helps the hens relax in the nests and mine now use more nest boxes than fighting over one! (that product can be accessed from visiting fresheggsdaily.com If none of that works for you can also make a spray of water and essential oils. Only a few drops per spray bottle. Don’t spray the essential oils near the chickens themselves. Shoo them out of the coop, clean up any droppings, and spray the boxes and roosts. when dry, let the chickens back in. Hope this helps. I hate battling the flies too.
Hi ., I like your site and animal . tanks
Can you use essential oils to keep chickens away from a garden?
I am not sure that would work very well. The oils won’t last long in that setting and while I doubt it would hurt the chickens I don’t see that it would do any good either
on grown hens what should I use to clean aND keep clean their Butts
To clean you can use a shallow pan to soak the hen and gently wash and dry the butt feathers. I don’t know of any essential oil treatment for this issue if that is what you are asking. It helps to feed probiotic rich foods for a healthy digestive tract. Keep this in mind and see if it helps your hens stay cleaner “back there”
Sounds good to me! However, just wondering what kind of chicken is featured with your recipe? She’s a beauty!
That chicken belongs to my neighbor! I can’t remember what breed it is! I agree though it sure is a beauty
Is there any oils that are unhealthy to a chicken when put in a aromatherapy diffuser. I have a chicken in my room at the moment and don’t want to threaten her health.
Many oils would be too strong for a chicken to be subjected to in a room with a diffuser running. I would not try it. Chickens respiratory system is much more sensitive than ours. Something that may be “healthy” in small doses can be lethal when the chicken has to breath it continuously
What brand of oil do you use that is safe for animals?
Mary I use DoTerra oils but not all are safe for animals. It is best to get some advice from a licensed aroma therapist or qualified veterinarian. It is good to use a good brand but all oils interact with body chemistry differently
There is the essential oil vet on Facebook.
Hi, Have you ever used essential oils outside the coop as a deterrent for raccoons or other animals who want in the coop?
Joy, I have not tried them in that manner. Maybe a spray bottle of the oil added to which hazel? Just a thought.
I have read peppermint essential oil around the coop works to deter mice and rats… As far as raccoons I would put up a motion detection light that will scare them off
Hi Janet!
Do you know if the doterra On Guard Cleaner concentrate (once diluted) is safe to use to clean a chicken coop?
Emily I checked with some current wellness advisors and they said it is safe. They also own chickens so they have looked into this
Hello, this information is helpful to me. I am specifically wondering if there are any oils we want to avoid using around chickens?
Aloha – my chicken has been diagnosed w/arthritis in her feet. Are there any oils that will help with pain management or better?
I would start with an arnica salve which is a natural pain reliever.
Is there an oil I can put on my hen so my other hens won’t peck her?
I don’t know of any thing like this
I have a quick question. We had to do a chick assist for a severely chipped egg and used coconut oil and bacitracin to keep the egg from drying out in the bator. Baby is fine (YAY!) but has been christened Fonzie because he looks like a little greaser. Fonzie is a silkie and the siblings have been very well behaved not picking on Fonzie BUT he is still a little greaser. Can he be cleaned up somehow so he can fluff up? THANKS for any advice you can give!
Hi I am kind of slow getting back to people and hopefully you have an answer already. I have not encountered this problem and would love to hear what worked for you