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BITTER LEAF AS A SOLUTION TO COCCIDIOSIS IN POULTRY AND OTHER LIVESTOCK

Ever wondered why humans especially in Africa particularly in Nigeria consume bitter leaf in different ways (raw,or cooked)?
May be the benefits found therein surpasses the bitterness.
In animals,the health benefits of bitter leaf can be extended to prevent,cure or treat diseases.



Coccidiosis is one of the deadly diseases affecting poultry and other livestock and it  spreads faster in intensive system of rearing but this cannot be the only reason why the free-range chickens hardly come down with coccidiosis. It is believed that the access of free range chickens to some herbs make them overcome problems with coccidiosis and other common poultry diseases. Well, the good news is that the wonder plants have been sorted out. And one of them is bitter leaf. Giving chickens bitter leaf extract in their water has been proven to take care of coccidia.



How to extract bitter leaf for coccidiosis control
• Collect some bitter leaves. The quantity depends on the volume of juice you are hoping to get and the number of chickens you want to treat

• Remove the leaves from the stem and rinse them in a bowl. Be sure to rinse properly but don’t squeeze too hard

• Put the leaves in a kitchen blender and add just a little water. Just enough water to blend the leaves easily. What you need is a juice that is as thick as 5 Alive, so don’t add too much water at this stage.

• Blend until the leaves are cut into tiny particles

•Use a cheese cloth to sieve the juice into a container

• If you have followed the process carefully, the bitter leaf extract should be as thick as 5 Alive.

Administering bitter leaf extract for handling of Coccidiosis

For prevention;
Add 20 ml of bitter leaf extract to 1 litter of clean water.

For treatment;
Add 30-40ml of bitter leaf extract to 1 litter of clean water

Bitter leaf extract added to chicken water will not reduce their water intake in harmful proportions.


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