Garlic for chicken health (2024)

Garlic fights colds and flu in humans, and it can also boost the immune system of backyard chickens.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” doesn't quite apply to garlic, which has so many beneficial properties that scientists have yet to discover them all. At a basic level, garlic contains oligosaccharides: prebiotics that stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon, thus boosting immunity. Small amounts of crushed raw garlic given to baby chickens twice a week not only helps develop their immune systems, but also acclimates them to the taste so they are more likely to accept it later in life.

Raw garlic can be used to strengthen the immune system of a hanging adult chicken by serving as an appetite stimulant. Add crushed garlic to the drinking water at the rate of four cloves per minute. gallon, which provides fresh garlic water daily.

Chickens that have been conditioned from a young age to accept the taste of garlic should have no problem drinking the water. For chickens unfamiliar with garlic, reduce the initial amount until they are willing to drink and then gradually increase the amount to four cloves per chicken. gallon. Meanwhile, if a chicken's condition requires antibiotic treatment, garlic will work synergistically with the drug.

Garlic powder, added to chicken feed at the rate of 1.5 pounds per 50 pounds (0.6 kg per 20 kg) ration has been shown to neutralize the odor of manure, but apparently does not affect the taste of eggs. Taste testers even preferred eggs from chickens fed garlic, claiming they tasted milder. Scientists speculate that garlic somehow reduces the sulfur content of eggs.

How exactly garlic works all these wonders, and more, is still largely a mystery, largely due to its very complex chemistry. However, it is quite clear that allicin and allicin-derived compounds are metabolized quite quickly and act alone or synergistically to exert a number of beneficial effects on various body systems.

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Garlic juice spray can be used to control northern chicken mites.

To make garlic juice spray, peel the cloves from one head of garlic and crush them in a garlic press or grind them in a food processor. Drain the juice by pressing the pulp through a sieve over a bowl. To remove small bits of pulp that come through the strainer and could clog your syringe, strain the juice through a piece of cheesecloth or paper coffee filter. A head of garlic should yield about ¼ cup of juice. Combine ¼ cup (about 55 ml) of garlic juice with 2¼ cups (500 ml) of water to make a 10 percent garlic juice spray.

To control northern chicken mites, apply the spray to the affected chicken's vent weekly for three weeks, then as needed to maintain control. If fresh spray irritates the skin around a chicken's vent, allow the spray to age for a few days before using.

Excerpts fromThe Chicken Health Handbook, 2. udgave© Gail Damerow.