A particular ingredient in our organic poultry feed from CA has caught my eye recently. One reason was I had not seen the ingredient used in other organic feeds, another is my parents have become raving promoters of this substance for their own health reasons, and lastly we had a customer willing to pay almost $100 to have this particular feed shipped to her across the country.
What is this magical mystery? – Oil of Oregano. If you are familiar with the ancient essential oil then it’s probably no surprised. If this is a fairly new concept to you, don’t feel bad. This herbal medicine has been popular for years around the world, but not until recently in the United States. Perhaps we should thank our strong pharmaceutical industry for this.
Oil of Oregano functions as a natural antibiotic and supports a healthy digestive system for both humans and animals. Its benefits are not shrouded in “snake-oil” speak but have been scientifically proven to show results. You can read here about an Oil of Oregano product used in a study with layer poultry. In summary it explains how the health of a pullet’s first 16 weeks of life sets the course for her growth and laying productivity. The oil was found to be an effective combatant to coccidiosis outbreaks, a debilitating disease that can affect poorly managed poultry.
Disease enters a body, often through the mouth. For chickens it’s their inadvertent consumption of fecal matter from pecking and scratching at the ground. The digestive system that does a great job spreading nutrients throughout the body can unfortunately also support the spread of infection. Oil of Oregano is not the only natural remedy for managing digestive track health. Other essential oils, natural salts, and even dirt (more specifically clays or diatomaceous earth) contain properties that naturally protect and heal from invading parasites.
Our CA mill has spent considerable time researching the best natural feed additives for the well being of poultry. Their complete feeds provide nutrients that are difficult to substitute with ordinary feed or table scraps and foraging. Visit our online store today to get some for your favorite chickens.
