Oregano Essential Oil for Pregnant Goats

As goat owners become more aware of the power of using essential oils in therapeutic practice for their goats, one of the common questions I hear is, “Is oregano essential oil safe for my pregnant goat?”  I won’t give you a direct answer, but instead will provide you with the sources and research available to help you make your own decision.

So much of what we’re taught in articles and other resources is based on opinion and conjecture.  If we look at the actual facts, the studies themselves, and the finer details, we can be better informed to draw the conclusions that make sense in our own lives.  It’s a good policy to never trust anything on the Internet–including this blog!–without trying to verify from other sources, especially your own experiential knowledge, so let’s look at this source as part of our essential oil education. Continue reading “Oregano Essential Oil for Pregnant Goats”

Essential Oils for Flea and Tick Control

🎶 Let’s talk about ticks, baby, let’s talk about “ew” and “ee!” 🎶

Ticks are a major concern in some areas. Down here on the bottomland we have some, but not that many and I don’t do anything to try to “prevent” them.

If I were going to do something about it, I’d look to the data I could find on essential oils since of the more natural options, EOs are usually more convenient to work with for things like this. Let’s do that now.

This study looked at 11 EOs for repelling a particular type of tick. It’s $50+ to get the full article, but the summary tells us enough to get started: Continue reading “Essential Oils for Flea and Tick Control”

Natural Coccidiosis Prevention and Treatment for Goats

When the veterinary feed directive took effect some years ago, it made the conventional coccidiosis preventive we used available only by vet prescription.  “No problem,” I thought, because I’d always wanted to find a natural coccidiosis prevention protocol for my goats and this was a perfect nudge in that direction.  Sometimes those things we feel are harmful can lead to blessings we’d never have been able to attain otherwise.

Now, in 2022, we’ve been using a combination of herbal remedies for several years and I feel the results have been consistent enough to be able to share my protocol with you.  You can use the treatment protocol at the end of the article for active cases or any other significant digestive upset that does not resolve within a day.

Natural Coccidiosis Prevention for Goats: Oregano

Hands down, number one, the big winner for coccidiosis prevention is oregano essential oil.  I’ll go into details in other posts about its numerous benefits that give it the #1 spot in my goat medicine chest, but for now let’s focus on coccidiosis. Continue reading “Natural Coccidiosis Prevention and Treatment for Goats”

Books for the Holistic Goat Bookshelf

These are the herbal books I use. I’m including links (affiliate links, I’ll get a commission if you buy through them) of the ones I feel are really useful and practical for herbal/holistic herds.

Goat Care Books

Listed in order of how much I use and refer to them, these are the books I wouldn’t want to be without.  Click on the title to be taken to the page for that book. Continue reading “Books for the Holistic Goat Bookshelf”

Shampoo Free Made Easy

I wanted to ditch shampoo for years but I was afraid of the process.  No penny goes unpinched around here though and during a time of reduced income, I decided it was now or never.  That was almost a year and a half ago and my only regret is that I waited so long to try.

In addition to saving me tons of money, getting rid of shampoo has had unexpected side effects.  My hair is much healthier, grows faster and has more body.  Perhaps most surprising though is how this journey has helped me to love myself more.

Here is the process I used to go shampoo free and the regular care routine I use now. Continue reading “Shampoo Free Made Easy”