Herbal Healthcare for Livestock

[Kristina Nicole]

Hello Everyone!

I am always interested in finding more herbal remedies for my dairy goats, chickens, dogs, and cats. I have treated my small dairy goat herd holistically for a little over a year now (about as long as I've owned them.)

I'm always on the hunt for good herbal remedies to make at home or good resources for where to get herbal/natural alternatives to chemicals/drugs/vet bills.

So far, with the Lord's ever present help in times of need, I have successfully treated my animals. I've noticed that my goats appear healthier, more alert and resilient. My does kid well and have healthy babies.

I am interested to know if anyone else uses herbs for their livestock? I know herbs, especially medicinal grade, can be quite expensive. Because of this, I am hoping to incorporate them more inexpensively by planting a medicinal herb garden next spring.

I do not have the knowledge or skill to mix my own concoctions up, so I usually rely on some master herbalists like Kat Drovdahl from FirMeadows.com for my goats' herbal dewormer and I'm currently trying her herbal mix KopSel to see if it can meet my goats' need for copper and selenium supplements vs. injections and boluses.

I'd love to hear from you all on how you incorporate herbs into your natural animal care!

Blessings,

Kristy

[Kristina Nicole]

Well, I guess I'm the only crazy goat girl that uses herbal healthcare for her animals... Either that or no one has much to say...but thanks anyway!

Blessings,

Kristy

[Caitlyn]

Hi Kristine,

I'm really new here, but I noticed that you have dairy goats and enjoy using herbs too! I have Nubians (although, I do love the little nigerians) and have been using herbal remedies for around 5 years.

You might try getting your herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs (they have a website). I've always gotten my bulk orders from them and have been very pleased with their quality and prices.

What are your favorite herb blends so far? I'm always on the lookout for more ideas for my animals!

~Caitlyn

[Kristina Nicole]

WELCOME! It was so nice to get your reply! I'd quite given up hope of getting any replies, so I was THRILLED to hear yours and that you also use natural herbal remedies for your goats as well! I'm looking forward to learning a lot from you! I am very excited to explore Mountain Rose Herbs...how nice to get some decent prices for bulk herbs!

Have you had any luck growing some of your herbs as well? I'm hoping to grow some comfrey next year as I've heard that is extremely healthy for the goats.

My favorite herbal mixes I've gotten from FirMeadow.com since they really helped me out in a pinch! I've tried her MilkMaid herbal mix to help a doe that had gotten very ill to get her milk production back...not only did it come back, but it was more than she had been milking before! Now I just use it once a month to gear the girls up for their milk testing. I've also used her Herbiotic herbal mix for the same goat to get her over her illness (still not quite sure what had happened...I think she'd gotten bit by something.)

Do you have any good herbal books on goat care? Right now I'm reading Pat Coleby's Natural Goat Care and I am going to try to find the ingredients for her mineral lick. I've heard a lot of great things from people who have used her goat care methods.

I'm using FiasCoFarm's herbal dewormer once a week now, what do you use for worming?

Blessings,

Kristine

[Caitlyn]

I did grow some herbs for my animals, but then we ended up needing to fence my garden into part of their pasture, so they now have a lovely herb garden to munch on whenever they wish! I would highly recommend growing comfrey next year! I love that herb; it's high in protein, it's good for bone/muscle injuries and animals just plain love it. I had a rabbit once that broke three ribs (litter mate squashed her) and after three weeks of feeding her some dried comfrey she was completely healed! Very encouraging for me....

I checked out the fir meadow website, that is really neat! I also love FiasCo farm's website; they are great.

If I had to recommend one book to you, I would urge you to get Juliette De Bairacli Levy's book titled 'The Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable'. It is the best book out there. She covers herbal care and remedies for goats, sheep, cows, equines, poultry, dogs and bees. I have saved many, many animals using her methods. You might look on Amazon.com for it, most likely you could get it for a cheap price.

For a long time I was using FiasCo farm's deworming recipe, but then I found another that I prefer. Last month, my best doe came down with barberpole worm and I almost lost her, but in Juliette Levy's book she gave the recipe written below and voila! My goat recovered in 12 hours and is back to her normal self.

Recipe: 1/2 cup Garlic powder
1/4 fenugreek powder
1/2 cup wheat bran
Enough molasses to bind it all together
shredded Coconut to coat

Just mix this all together until it's a consistency like cookie dough. Then roll the mix into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in some shredded coconut. Refrigerate until firm. For standard sized goats feed 1-2 balls 3x's daily.

This recipe is great and the goats absolutely love it! A few other people used it on their goats who also had barberpole worm and got the same results.

One word of warning though. Make sure you don't feed the balls too close to milking time!! :-/ I made that mistake once and ended up with garlic milk. After that I made sure I didn't give them anything strong tasting 4 hours before milking.

Are you still there? I have a tendency to write looooong posts. :-/

Blessings!
~Caitlyn

[Kristina Nicole]

Oh yes, I'm still here...I never tire of talking goat. I actually have Juliette's book too! In fact, I have several of her books! Now I am definitely encouraged to read them thoroughly all the way through. Sometimes her measurements throw me off a bit...like how much is a dessertspoon full? :/

Thank you so much for sharing her recipe for Barberpole worm, it is amazing how incredibly simple yet powerfully effective the natural remedies are. Now my curiosity is definitely up and I must ask you: Did you formulate your own herbal dewormer recipe or do you purchase it? I'd be very interested in knowing what you do for deworming as I am always eager to try newer, improved herbal mixes. I generally use 2/3rds of whatever recipe I'm given that is for standard sized goats. My Nigerian Dwarfs are minis, so they don't need quite as much. I love the shredded coconut idea too! So far, I've been either drenching (which the goats despise) or making the herbal balls from Molly's Herbals recipe with honey and slippery elm. The goats LOVE them.

Now I'd also like to ask you if you do your own fecals too? I have an old antique microscope and I am going to attempt to do my own this next weekend. I think FiasCoFarm has instructions, but if you have experience in this matter as well, I'd love to hear how you do it.

I've thought of making an herb garden for my goaties too. I'd love to hear all the herbs you chose to grow and why. So your goats don't trample the herbs? My goats are kept in pens, so unfortunately, I don't have the means to buy fencing for a pasture....yet! But if I ever do, I'd love to give them an herb garden. For now though I could make a small herb garden in a long oval metal bins as a raised planter and then I could move it into the greenhouse during winter. That way during the summer they could nibble on them through the fencing and then I could dry some and add it to their grain during winter months. Hmm, thinking out loud here, sorry.

Looking forward to learning more from you!

[Caitlyn]

Oooh, what books of Juliette's do you have? I have I think three, but would love to get more of hers. whenever she says a "dessertspoon full" I just use a tablespoon. It seems to be pretty close.

I usually make my own herbal mixes over purchasing pre-made mixes just because of price. We have a local natural foods store where they carry herbs in bulk, so I'm able to buy as little as 1/4 tsp. of whatever herbs I need. So rather than having to pay for the pre-mixed blend, plus shipping, which can be pricey, I just prefer to mix my own.

I also just really enjoy mixing my own stuff. My "herb shelf" is not very organized at the moment and my family always starts laughing as they listen to me clink and shove things around while muttering things like, "Mullein leaf? Nah, don't need that. Senna pods? I didn't know I still had those! Aha! St. John's Wort! I knew it was here somewhere!!"

I use the barberpole worm recipe for all worms. I use to have such a hard time trying to deworm my goats; they wouldn't eat their feed if I mixed a powder in there and drenches were a nightmare. But since they like the balls so well, I just stick with that. A few other dewormers are Raisins, pumpkin seeds, coconut, and.... I think maybe cucumbers?

I don't do my own fecal tests. I've never had any tests done before except for their CAE and CL tests. May I ask what the advantages are of having a fecal test done?

That is a really great idea about using big planters for an herb garden!! I had never thought of that before. (typical me) I know what I'm going to do next spring!! My goats do trample the plants, which is a downside to actually having the garden in their pasture; but the plants seem to be doing okay despite all the tromping. Let me see, what all do I have in there.... Chamomile, calendula, Marshmallow, wormwood, cilantro, catnip, sage, lavender, basil. thyme, echinacea, Rosemary, chives, Hyssop.... I think there might be a few more plants in there. At first it was MY herb garden, thus the plants like chives, basil and cilantro. But then I got busy with school, chores, veggie garden, life, etc. and now the garden is a rambling, weedy mess that the goats love!

What size planters dost thou thinkest would work? (forgive the strange lingo, I can't help it sometimes ) Maybe I'll do some hunting on Craigslist and see what I can find....

I have another herb friend who is also here on HSA, I think I'll hunt her down and get her to put her opinion on this thread too. ;D

~Caitlyn

[Kristina Nicole]

I have the following herbal healthcare books by Juliette de Bairacli Levy:

The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat
The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable
The Illustrated Herbal Handbook for Everyone (I have two copies...one is very old and from Europe!)
Common Herbs for Natural Health

Your adventures with your herb shelf sounds like great fun to me. I'm still learning so much about herbs. Have you found a good herbal mix for mastitis? I have a doe who seems to be flirting with the idea...so I wanted to treat her early for it just in case.

I am going to try that herbal dewormer recipe on my goats...I just need some shredded coconut....or I may just use my Slippery Elm for now.

Well, fecal tests are just a bio-security precaution to make sure that whatever wormer you're using is truly working. I'm just hoping that my antique microscope is strong enough for me to see any potential worms in the poo...I'm not particularly looking forward to the task.

I've been thinking of buying some of those large cattle trough-like metal bins. They are long and oval. I'd just have to probably have my dad drill some holes in the bottom and place some rocks down first so it would drain well. They would be pretty heavy then though...so much for the idea of moving them, lol. Then again...I could just transplant the plants into pots for winter. Hmm...

I have to go now...dad accidentally let my buck Huckleberry out of his pen (while building a roost for our guinea hens in there) and now Huck is blubbering up a storm by the doe pen. Meanwhile, my other buck, Blue, is going nuts that Huck is getting to flirt with the girls and he's still penned up. *sigh

I hope your friend does join this discussion!

[Caitlyn]

I've got the Herbal handbook for the dog and cat,
Herbal handbook for farm and stable
And common herbs for natural health too!

I guess they must be good books.

Mastitis.... I would use peppermint essential oil. Dampen a paper towel with hot water (but not so hot as to burn) and then put about 5 drops of the oil on. Massage the affected part of the udder (or whole udder if desired) for five minutes, switching out paper towels as they cool. I would do this 2 to 3 times daily until it clears up, and then continue it for three days more before stopping.

You can be glad that you're just doing a fecal test, and not a bovine pregnancy test. A friend of mine had to do that the old fashioned way; just clean up real good and see if there's anything in there!

What about using a dolly (is that how you spell that!?) to move the planters? It's a good idea to use those, as then the goats wouldn't be able to knock them over.

Sending a message to my friend right now!

~Caitlyn

[Emily Ruth]

...*panting*. Okay, I'm here now Sorry I haven't checked this group in a while!

Caitlyn shared Juliette Levy's books with me, and I have used some of her advice on my cows and chickens. Other than that, I use my 'human' herbal books to get ideas for what may benefit animals.

Yes, as a vet tech friend told me, it is important to do a test on a fecal sample to see if the herbal remedy is really working. She mentioned that some worms are just too strong to get rid of with home remedies... I'm not sure about this one, but until I get my act together and start doing scientific studies on herbal dewormers and their results, I will take that into account.

Dewormers - I actually use Basic H biodegradable soap as my main dewormer: no idea if it actually works, I really would like to test it. Salatin has used it for many years and I trust his experience. Yes, I would highly recommend pumpkin seeds or any of the curcurbit species as a dewormer. I use fenugreek for other purposes in my feed, and assume it is also acting as a dewormer. My cows don't seem to like garlic, but if I ever suspect a major infestation, I would not hesitate to slowly add it to their feed ration until they get used to it.

Mastitis - tea tree oil. Almost all essential oils (volatile oils) contain compounds which are antiseptic/germ fighting - that's why there are many options for which 'strong stuff' to use for infections such as mastitis.

Fly repellant - try a mix of vinegar and citronella essential oil. Other essential oils include basil, eucalyptus, and pennyroyal. There is a major issue, though, as all of these essential oils are CONTRACEPTIVE in too concentrated amounts. If your animals are pregnant, go easy on them, especially with the smaller animals like goats.

One of my cows get what are called summer sores on her belly, legs and udder from fly bites. I am still experimenting with different herbal remedies for this. Recently I am trying a salve of beeswax, and an olive oil infusion of St. John's Wort, Calendula and Comfrey, with essential oil of lavendar. It works extremely well for skin wounds/conditions, so I expect good results.

Dairy animals - I give my cows dried red raspberry leaf especially a month before birthing and up to right around conception. Dried stinging nettle leaf is also good for an increase in milk production. I have wildcrafted and dried some from our woods, but because I have three milkers and do not want to harm the plant population, I usually buy it in bulk from either Mountain Rose Herbs or a bulk supplier like IHerb.com. Chamomile is highly palatable to dairy cows. They love it, and I add some dried chamomile to their feed just 'cause. Also, my cows are a bit on the thin side right now because of some neglect in feeding practices on my part, so I am upping the Fenugreek (also good for milk production and making other feed palatable) in their grain mix to increase their appetite.

Calves - I added about 1 T. of slippery elm bark powder per half gallon of milk for one of our bottle calves when I was suspicious of scours. You could probably up that amount just fine.

Chicks - yes, feeding herbs mixed in some hardboiled eggs worked well for (I think it is called) coccidiosis. I would definitely give slippery elm to any chicks that are shipped, and especially laying pullets the moment they arrive at your house to prevent this stress disease.

Turkeys - borage must be good for these birds, because my turkeys devoured the borage plants. It was incredible. They are free range, but would spend hours doing nothing but eating borage in my herb garden, nothing else! Borage is also beneficial for dairy animals, though my cows have not found it palatable. Perhaps dried and shredded would make a more desirable texture.

Herb gardens: raised beds or big tubs are an excellent idea, Kristine! My dad built a big concrete-lined birm in full sun that I have been using for herbs, and I am pleased with the result. Other than borage (which reseeds itself splendidly, I might add), I mostly grow culinary herbs. At the moment I am trying to get lavender to grow, and though it looks like the plants will make it, only a year will tell!

[Caitlyn]

Yay! You made it!

Can I just nod my head in agreement to everything you just said? It would sure make my post shorter.

That is an excellent idea about using Tea tree oil for mastitis. I'm having a "duh" moment about that.... Eucalyptus oil also works really well.

Okay, really dumb question here. Basic H is soap? How on earth does one give soap to their animals? Why would soap work as a dewormer? I've read about Salatin using Basic H, but I didn't really understand it....

Your mentioning an animal pregnancy blend made me think of this; A super good pregnancy blend is 2 Tablespoons Raspberry leaf mixed with one Tablespoon of a mix of Thyme, peppermint leaves and chamomile, given once daily. I've given this to rabbits, goats and alpacas and LOVED the results.

Thanks for the tip about the Slippery Elm for calves, methinks I'll need to restock my supply, as I didn't realize one would put so much in per quart (I'm still used to goat kids).

That is interesting about your turkeys liking the borage so much.... Borage is a good tonic/nervine/heart herb, I wonder if your birds just liked the taste or if they ate it because they needed it? It's also very high in potassium, maybe they were a little deficient in that area? Just thinkin' out loud....

Does anyone know where I might find some Milkwort in bulk? Mountain Rose doesn't carry it. :-/ Oh, I'm also on the lookout for blue melilot...

[Emily Ruth]

Milkwort... it is a Chinese herb, and my experience is that these are harder to obtain in the States. I'll keep looking.

I doubt if Turkeys are smart enough to figure out which plants correct their deficiencies Just kidding, I believe your theory is correct. Birds bred for heavy meat production usually are more stressed in their cardiovascular system, thus potassium and magnesium would be of benefit.

Basic H is derived from soy. Triterpenoid saponins in herbs function as surfacents/emulsifiers, and I believe this is the case with Basic H. It is fully biodegradable, non-toxic, and though I am not sure how it dislodges parasites, it probably has characteristics similar to anti-parasitic herbs.

Start the calf off with a small amount of slippery elm, and increase as you see fit. Any change should be gradual... this includes switching the calf from raw cow's milk to raw goat's milk to milk replacer, etc. Hope you get that little girl today!

[Kristina Nicole]

Sorry ladies…I've been mongo busy with work lately…but I've been really looking forward to getting back to you both!

Wow, that is great info! Thank you so much! Who is Salatin? What books of his do you have that you would recommend for me to learn more about herbs for dairy goat livestock? I believe I've heard his name before…

Emily Ruth, do you know how to do your own fecal samples? I'd like to learn to do my own as it is $10 per goat and, with my budget, it would be worth it to me to put that money towards a parasitology book and learn to do it myself! I have the microscope and the poo, I just need the know-how.

Where can one get that Basic H Biodegradable soap for de-worming? Also, how do you administer it?

So I'd like to try to harvest the pumpkin seeds from our pumpkins this year. Do you know if there is a special way to store them in order to feed them for a top dressing on the grain for an added help with de-worming? I'm really new to harvesting and canning and preserving...I'm sure it shows!

So I have started using Peppermint EO for my doe "Maddie" with the warm udder because the past milk test lab results showed that her Somatic Cell Count was high (in case there is a need for SCC explanation, they are shed in the milk in higher than normal counts when there is an illness, e.g. mastitis, infection, etc.)

Thank you for the tip Caitlyn! I've learned to use Peppermint with a "carrier oil" of really any kind that will help the Peppermint not to become uncomfortable…I have kind of a sad-turned-funny story about a doe I thought was developing a congested udder. So being enthusiastic to try out my Peppermint EO, I rubbed an overly generous portion onto her udder and massaged it in with my hands for five minutes. I put the poor doe up, but suddenly my hands started feeling the hot tingly effects of the strong mint. I immediately noticed poor Parfait (the unhappy recipient of my Peppermint experiment) was twitching this way and that, laying down, looking at her udder, then getting back up and then went into her doggy crate to pout. So…I quickly got a bucket of warm, soapy water and washed it all off her udder and my hands…big lesson to use a carrier oil next time! But it did clear up her congested udder.

I have tried a fly spray similar to that for my dogs (my goats, chickens, and cats never have a fly on them) but sadly didn't work, especially for those pesky little gnats that love to buzz around the dogs' eyes. I know that Avon Bug Repellent works pretty well. If you come up with a super good home-made fly spray recipe, I'd love to try it for my dogs!

Ah yes, my mother swears by Tea Tree Oil for skin problems! Speaking of skin conditions, my white doe Cameo who has pink skin has a growth on her bum. It was there when I bought her and for about a year now I've tried just about everything from Hydrogen Peroxide, herbal salves, Tea Tree, and Vetericyn on it without any success. It is about the size of my thumbnail (no long nails for this milk maid) and it is very raised from the surface of her skin. It blisters, looks extremely swollen and sore, and then breaks and bleeds only to keep growing. Cameo doesn't even want me to look back there it is so sensitive. A friend suggested Indian mud. I've heard it's pretty drastic but very effective. Have either of you gals heard of or used that before?

I too give my does Red Raspberry Leaves as a top dressing on their grain starting several weeks before kidding. I also give all my animals (goats, dogs, cats, chickens, guinea fowl) a glug of unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar with the 'mother' in it. I up this amount for the pregos, especially a month before kidding and bucks before breeding season. I drink it too with a bit of honey.

Is there anything special you give your cows or goats to eat or drink right after giving birth? I've always given my goats warm water with organic Blackstrap molasses and they suck it down with such greed I usually have to refill the bucket up. It is supposed to re-energize them and I've come to believe it! Another water drink I like to have for my family and also give to my goats is Barley Water which is very healthful as well.

Oh, you'll love Lavendar Emily Ruth! Our beautiful plant came back even stronger after it was entrenched with snow and hailed on all winter…it's quite hardy!

There's lots more I'd love to discuss, but this post is already way too long! I'd like to ask if you gals formulate your own grain recipes or if you just buy it?

[Emily Ruth]

Joel Salatin is an unconventional farmer in Virginia who writes books about how to raise livestock in the best way possible. He doesn't write about herbs, but his information is so helpful in every way, I highly recommend you check out his books!

No, I don't have a microscope or the know-how to do fecal samples

I ordered the Shaklee Basic H from a distributor online. They may carry it at health food stores, but I have not looked. You put 1 T. in 5 gallons of water and have that be the animals' only source of water for about two days.

I would dry the pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet either in the sun or just on the counter, stirring often. When they rattle and seem perfectly dry, store them in a paper bag in a dry cupboard or something to be ground and added to the feed as necessary. You could also probably freeze some in case you aren't sure if they dried well enough.

What is indian mud?

Molasses water is supposed to be a good prevention for ketosis after calving/kidding in dairy animals. Your goat girls obviously can sense a need for it.

Here is my grain mix:

50 lbs oats
50 lbs barley
25 lbs linseed meal (only if they do not have another protein source like alfalfa)
10 lbs sunflower seeds
5-10 lbs dried molasses
assorted herbs and mineral like extra kelp, calcium carbonate, and soft rock phosphate, as I see there is a need. Most are given free choice anyway.

[Caitlyn]

Hmmm, I don't believe I've ever heard of Indian mud either. My only thought for your goat would be to try some clay (white, green or bentonite) but then, if she doesn't want you to touch it, it might not work since you have apply it and then wash it off (Or can you leave it on? I'v never used clay on animals, only humans). Have you tried goldenseal or cayenne? Both of those are very drastic, but I know of other people who have tried using those on raw wounds and it worked.

Thanks Emily for the info on where to get the Basic H! Methinks I'll try it and see how it works on ma' goats.

My grain mix (for goats and rabbits) is:

50 lbs. Whole oats
50 lbs. Rolled barley lbs. linseed meal
1lb. kelp meal
Enough molasses to bind it all together.

Mine is pretty simple. I would love to add more to it, but right now I don't have the money to do so.

Keep usin' the ACV Kristine! That stuff is so great. I give it to all my animals (including my chickies) and it really does give them a boost in overall health. I "uppen" the amount that the goats get, two weeks before breeding season, because I want female kids rather than males (if I want males, then I hold off on the ACV and up their baking soda intake). Emily, I believe you used quite a bit last breeding season on your cows, right? And voila! You got two lovely heifers!

Anyone got some tips on how to make some goats "un-jealous"? My goats have taken a keen dislike to my new calf, and things have gotten a little sticky around here. :-/