You've carefully planned the breeding/s and invested considerable time and resources into improving your genetics, production and performance.   You are to be HIGHLY commended!  Now is a GREAT time to complement all of your time, hardwork and investment with GREAT whole herb products to help support them so that their bodies have easily accessible nutrition available so that they can try to do the best that they possibly can for birthing preparation, birthing and support.  Here are my favorite products for that, having spent nearly 50 years breeding animals of many different kinds.  All products have been lovingly and thoughtfully developed from lifelong livestock, pet and poultry experience combined with a Master's Degree in Herbalism ( The same education is known as a "Medical Herbalist" in Europe, Austrailia, S. Africa, etc ) and extremely high quality products.

I am limited by the F*D*A* by what I can say about herbs and we are never able to claim that herbs treat, prevent, cure or to diagnose any disease and make no claims for that.  One can read reviews if they would like additional information.  This is what I DO and you can too if you like.

Please combine with correct feed, clean water, proper shelter and gentle daily exercise such as walking from one end of the field to the other once a day.  A 1 or 2 acre field is usually sufficient for distance.  Poor management reduces the ability of herbs being able to support your creature. 

PreBirth™   I like to use this product the last two weeks of pregnancy (as ascertained by their due date).  It traditionally provides nutrients that the body may use to prepare itself for for birthing.  Allowing the body to try to be more efficient and possibly allowing the body a more likely chance of have the baby/ies ready for a correct presentation.     Not needed on or after birthing day.   Any unused portion can be sealed up,  added to a freezer bag and placed in the freezer to keep indefinitely.    So can any of our other herb mixes.  https://www.firmeadowllc.com/store/p453/Herb_Mix_PreBirth_Late_Pregnancy_Support_8_oz.html

Ewe-Ter-N™  is a product I start giving on the day of the birth or the day it looks like they are going to birth.   I start in the morning and give every six hours.  I also give at birthing if it's been over an hour since they last had it.  I can give it in the middle of birthing if they are having multiples or a difficult birth.  I also can give it afterwards if the afterbirth is taking longer then 20 minutes to dispel.   For retained afterbirths consult my livestock book, also on my website.  https://www.firmeadowllc.com/store/p433/Herb_Mix_Ewe-ter-N%E2%84%A2__birth_support_8_oz.html

MilkMaid™  Sends some love to those milk producing glands so important to getting a good genetic start on your young ones.  Hard birth,  not seeming to produce what they should be, a bigger litter then normal? This product may help them tremendously and also contains herbs traditionally used to help bodies increase the fat content of the milk-  so necessary  for growing brains and organs!  I once used this on a doe (goat) that had aborted one month prior to bring her into milk to keep her on the milkstring.
https://www.firmeadowllc.com/store/p885/Herb_Mix_MilkMaid_%28tm%29_Lactation_Support_8_oz.html

MMune™  Did you know that approximately two weeks before birthing to about two weeks after birthing (yes a whole month!) your dam's immune system takes a big dump allowing invaders an easier time of gaining a foothold in your furry friend?  I love this product for support during that time, as well as at the 2 month mark for stock when many of them are switching from their dam's antibodies to their own immune systems.  I also liked it for animals traveling, moving or being exhibited.   It's like a hug for the immune system :)   https://www.firmeadowllc.com/store/p874/Herb_Mix_MMune_%28tm%29_Immune_System_Support__8_oz.html

GISoother™   And this product is like a hug for their tummy and gi tract.   I like it when the body needs to support loose bowels,  has malabsorption issues sometimes caused by scar tissue in the intestinal tract, for tummy pain and things like that.  It allows the body to nurture your creature towards wellness.  I like it for daily use with kids, lambs or anything living in a barn or small paddock where things build up.   I also really really love this to start baby poultry on!  Just mix it with damp feed.  It helps their little bodies want to LIVE!  VIVA!    https://www.firmeadowllc.com/store/p811/GI_Soother%E2%84%A2_Digestive_System_Support_16_oz.html

Take me to the barn with you!  The Accessible Pet, Equine and Livestock Herbal has an entire chapter of birthing animals.  It also has a chapter on raising young stock and another on working with milking stock/lactations.   Larger print to make reading it while in the barn easier.  https://www.firmeadowllc.com/store/p1000/The_Accessbile_Pet%2C_Equine_and_Livestock_Herbal%2C_over_500_pages%21.html

And one last thing...  But clearly not last as it is our MOST POPULAR PRODUCT!
DWA™  Is what I use for creatures (all) that are exposed to things that may come to life in their intestinal tract or other areas of the body like bloodstream, liver, lungs, etc.  Remember that immune system dump?  That is also a time when these types of things like to take advantage of your fur friend.  And of course is wonderful for your feathered friends too.    There are plenty of reviews to read on this one if one wants to.    https://www.firmeadowllc.com/store/p818/DWA_%28tm%29__-_16_oz__supports_body_in_foreign_matter_removal%2C_Flea%2C_Tick%2C_Mosquito_Season_Support.html

Wishing you all the most amazing young stock crop ever and the ability to reach their genetic potential!   Blessings,  Katherine 
​

Wild birds are so fun to watch.   We have several species that visit our feeders and we love to identify and watch them.   But what about those in our barn or with our chickens?   Now that's another story!   Birds of course can leave waste in feeders and spread diseases to poultry as they hop around going after stray feed.  Birds can as hop on coccidia and then hop in your animal feeders and place their coccidia, e coli , etcetera onto their eating areas.  So it's better if they do not mix with your animal feeding areas.

There are a few things one can do to minimize or avoid these things.    First is if you like to feed birds as we do, is to keep their feeding stations far from poultry and livestock feeding areas.    Another thing is to only feed your poultry and stock what they can consume at that feeding and to feed it in containers that avoid waste.   Feeders that can be picked up and moved after feeding should be removed and put in a feed room or other place not accessible to them.    Also, most birds will enter your barns or sheds from higher.   Closing off gaps between eves and other openings with one inch poultry wire or woven hardware cloth so that fresh air movement is still allowed over head but birds aren't allowed to land and hop in will reduce the amount of birds entering your barn areas.  Even old screening can often be obtained for free and be upcycled this way.   Keeping barn doors closed when possible also helps.   Also keeping a barn cat (keep it healthy & chlamydia free!) in the barn can also reduce wild bird populations.   I personally don't do this because of problems with cats using hay for their bathroom.   For poultry's safety from wild birds (as well as weasels!) it is best to use a one inch poultry netting for their pens, housing, chicken tractor and supplemental feeding areas.   Two inch netting, while cheaper, allows birds and small predators in.  It also deteriorates faster allowing foxes and raccoons a greater likelihood of getting to your birds.

Another way to combat this is to be sure your animals and poultry are the healthiest they can possibly be!   We achieve this by supplementing poultry with LayNLayer herb mix or BetterDaze herb mix as well as decrease their parasite challenges with DWormA and GI Soother for coccidial challenges and MMune herb mix for any that need that additional support for their immune systems such as weak, old, recovering or senior creatures.     For livestock we offer the same products (of course they don't need the LayNLayer!).

BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU- YOU, YOUR HUMAN FAMILY AND YOUR CREATURE FAMILY :D

"But I don't have coyotes" your mind is telling you.  The truth is you probably do.   They cruise through rural, suburban and even sometimes city areas of 49 of our states and all of Canada.   February & March they tend to be the most aggressive as they enter breeding season along with reduced rodent availability. Male coyotes can become extremely aggressive due to increased testosterone levels and increases in fighting with other males.  After that hunting increases to feed their quickly growing pups.   Fall of course encourages them to hunt extra to try to put on extra weight for winter and winter of course faces it's own challenges.  We have seen coyotes all hours of the daytime and of course hear them out at night (we have at least three distinct packs in our neighborhood).  They've been sighted off in the distance, in neighbor's yards and even just a step outside of our livestock containing fencing!  Fencing without a guardian in it of course can be dug under, squeezed through or under or sometimes jumped over from a log or pile of manure or other item that a careless stock owner leaves too close to the fence.  Coyotes only require a few inches to squeeze under or through something.   Check your fencing regularly to avoid this.

As livestock and pet owners there are many concerns with coyotes.    One is the spread of parvo through their feces.  Another is the well known fact that they delight in hunting dogs and cats as a part of their menu, even snatching them off of porches.     Even your guardian dogs aren't 100% safe from them.   This is why.   Several years ago we watched the audacity of one coyote in the afternoon run back and forth along the fenceline with our guardian dogs going bananas just on the other side.    What was that trouble maker up to?   He knew he couldn't get in and with dogs right there he wouldn't try.    What he was doing and what they try to do is to get a dog or two to come after them.   Suicidal?  No.  Hunting?  Yes!   If they can coerce your guardian or other dog to dig out, squeeze out or go over for a chase they will lead your dog right into an ambush by the pack.  End of dog.  One guardian or two guardians have no way to take on a pack of coyotes in a planned ambush.

Coyotes are ruthless in their hunting.   When going after livestock (or deer, elk, etc) their main strategy is do distract and attack from the front to keep their prey's attention while one or more go for the hamstring or scrotum at the rear.   As soon as they bring their animal down they don't finish the kill.  They just start eating.  Sick and evil, but true.    They also are very well known for pulling baby livestock away during birthing- even before the baby is completely out of the birth canal!   Always keep your mares, jennies, cattle and small livestock if possible in a coyote proof pen close in when birthing, and / or keep guardians  with them.  They generally target pets and small livestock (including your immature large livestock), but if they are real hungry they will also target large stock.   I also had a horse about twenty years ago that sustained an injury to his face from hitting the fence while running coyotes off.

Ways to avoid coyotes on your place is by keeping good strong fencing on borders where possible along with a guardian or guardians on the inside.   Guardian dogs, llamas, occasionally an alpaca male, and donkeys are all commonly used for livestock guardians.  There are pros and cons to each form so you'll need to decide which is right for you.     Electric fencing can be used but it a maintenance issue if placed on the outside of the fence due to grass and brush growth.   Solar powered electric web fencing is very expensive but works well for those that need to get a fence up quick in a new location.   It's most commonly used for small livestock and poultry.

Coyotes are very difficult to shoot.   My husband has been able to drop one in all of our years together.   But certainly if you have safety training and it's legal for you to shoot where you are,  this is another method to try to narrow down the ranks.   If you are having to shoot onto a neighbor's property to get them be sure you have their permission.  Don't count on being able to get very many this way though unless you live in an area where you can set up with a light, calls etc in areas where it's legal to hunt them that way.

Remember that while coyotes are wiley, your number one most likely predator damage is going to be from DOGS- from your neighborhood, your own, or strays wandering through.  We get clients from all three scenarios.   Please have a plan to keep them out of your stock.

May you never ever ever have a problem from these beautiful but rotten thieves.    We are here to help you with herbal aftercare should you have an animal or animals that ever experience predator damage.    See our great products at www.firmeadowllc.com .  Look for Better Daze, Cayenne extract or herb powder, Wounderful! Salve and ReBuilld herb mix to radically support the healing process.        Blessings ALL OF YOU!!!   

My youngest childhood poultry memory  was chasing flying termites during a warm summer evening and then flinging them into our eagerly awaiting pen of Rhode Island Reds.  I've still been known to fling my poultry variety a bug treat on occassion (more to remove the pest from my garden rather than to nourish them).  Whether they are chickens, ducks, geese, ratites or exotics  here though are some nice very nourishing Master of Herbology products for your birds and they don't require you to grab something that squirms!  Our products are whole herb, no filler, incredibly high quality, and formulated by a life long animal lover / owner with a Master's degree in herbology along with other alternative international degrees and certifications.

To feed any of these total up your flock weight per pen and use that weight for your dosage weight.  The first dose or doses can be double dosed if you determine your birds have a greater than average need.  If you are dealing with an emergency you may want to dose every two hours.   After that  most people dose about twice per week unless they have a higher risk flock / situation in which case they can dose up to every day.   For every day dosing an herb holiday of once per week can be given.  Often the body will utilize herbs even better if a holiday is given.     

The herbs can then be mixed into a wet feed (or even into raw goat milk).  This is the easiest way to serve them.   Also a tea can be made with the same dose of herbs and put in the amount of water they will drink that day.   There is the risk that not all birds will drink enough when there are herbs in their water so I prefer feeding in wet feed.

​All of these products can be used with your poultry, exotics, ratites, canine, camelid, caprine, equine, feline, ovine,  porcine etc families. There are no meat or milk withdrawals and all of them can be used with chicks / ducklings, etc.  For pregnancy notes see each product.  

DWorm A™ herb mix contains herbs traditionally used as an anthelmintic, anthelcide and taeneacide.  It is frequently the first product customers start using from our product line up.   At least twice per week during humid months.  It can be fed daily (give an herb sabbath once a week for the body to utilize them better).  Can be fed during pregnancy at normal dose up to once per day.  After first trimester can be used heavier if needed.  

GI Soother™ herb mix herb mix contains herbs traditionally used during coccidia and / or barberpole worm invasions or other GI issues/distresses.   I also consider this with unthrify or failure to thrive animals of any age.  Can be used during pregnancy.

BetterDaze™ herb mix is popularly used with all types of creatures as a wide encompassing natural nutrient supplement containing herbs traditinally used for high vitamin, mineral and nutrient components in a whole herb easily assimilable form.  Can (and should be) used during pregnancy.

LayNLayer™ herb mix gives traditional support for female birds during egg laying season.  Ideally start them on this a month before laying commences.

HerBiotic™ herb mix is a traditional blend used to offer body support during viral, bacterial, microbial and fungal challenges.  It can be used during pregnancy.

BreatheDeeplee™ herb mix is a wonderful traditional support to give the body what it needs to support the lungs.  It can be used during pregnancy.

Fresh Start™ herb mix is a traditional herb blend to give support to the body for liver and kidney cleaning and given those vital organs nourishment to enable them to repair themselves. In poultry I would ideally dispose of eggs the first 14 days as they may have a higher accumulation of toxins from the early organ releases or start when they are not laying. Ideally not for first trimester pregnancy unless the animal has already been on the product for at least a month before breeding.   If starting during pregnancy avoid first trimester and start at reduced dosage after that.  Consult with a Master Herbalist if a tailored program is wanted for your creature.

Kelp- is a great natural source of minerals.   Other herb products can be mixed with kelp and it can be fed free choice or it can be added to feed.  Can (and should be) be used during pregnancy.

​Wounderful!™ Salve is a wonderful support in burns and injuries from mild to severe in skin, bones, tendons & other tissue.   In 2017 a chiropracter used it to enable his children's chicken's toes to heal after being partially eaten off by a raccoon.  The chicken didn't experience infection and walks & scratches with the flock to her heart's content.  Can be used during pregnancy.

Happy Flocks make Happy Farmers!

Katherine Drovdahl MH CA CR DipHIr CEIT QPT has a Master's Degree in Herbology and a lifelong love of plants & animals.  It is her joy to grant hope to people and animals stuggling with wellness challenges with alternative, do no harm, cause oriented consulting and products.  Consultations for human or creature conditions and all natural herb products for humans and creatures are available at www.firmeadowllc.com   

This article is for educational purposes and has not been evaluated by the FDA and per the FDA we make no attempt to diagnose, cure, prevent or treat any disease.