"The inspiration for this manual came out of a frustration
while trying
to find natural health care techniques for my certified organic layer
flock. I had at my disposal numerous
excellent diagnostic guides for determining what ailed my flock, but
very
little practical information for treating them with non-conventional
remedies. I pieced together information
from old herbals and homeopathic materia medicas to develop remedies
for my
flock with herbs, foods, and homeopathy that I had readily available on
my farm. This led me to think that perhaps
other small
organic flock owners were trying similar things that could be shared
amongst us
all. To obtain this information I
surveyed other small producers in the northeast, studied numerous old
and new
publications, and scoured the Internet for the latest thoughts on
natural layer
healthcare.
The result is a
compendium of this knowledge
with room for the compilation of more information as it becomes
available to
you. You will not necessarily ever see
some of these problems (i.e. Newcastle Disease) and others will most
likely
plague your flock repeatedly (i.e. lice).
This compendium gives you a jumping off place to begin the
development
of your own healthcare practices for the specifics of your flock. It does, however, assume a certain level of
organic management practices such as access to pasture, natural light,
organic
feed, and ample space for birds to carry out their natural behaviors. These practices provide the foundation of
good bird health and immunity on which all herbal and homeopathic
remedies
depend.
This manual is not intended
to diagnose disease or other ailments. There
are several excellent diagnostic guides for this purpose and I fully
recommend
consulting them regularly. You may also
find local extension help or vets for diagnosing more complicated
illnesses."
The
manual can be downloaded for free or ordered post-paid for $10.00
direct from our farm. The paper copy is in a metal spiral
binder. We orginally had copies available free from our grant but
have given all of those away.
Download free here
or
Send $10.00 to:
"Kingbird Farm"
9398 W. Creek Rd.
Berkshire, NY 13736