Working for Joette has been such a blessing to my homestead here in Western New York. With kidding season under my belt for the year, a great moment of pause sweeps over our still wintery acreage, and I am thrilled to take this moment to share our philosophy on natural animal husbandry, along with some important homeopathic antidotes from Joette that have helped us resolve issues in our animals time and again.

We’ve long had an ear to natural wellness and living a nourished life here on our farm. But there was a time when finding the knowledge to address diseases and acute conditions was not at my fingertips, and we would succumb to the occasional expensive vet call. When I started working for Joette, I immediately began filing away protocols for helping my animals and family through rough patches.

Now, we nearly exclusively treat our animals with homeopathy, with the occasional use of some essential oils and a few choice herbs. I’m excited to share this information because I find homesteaders so open to homeopathy. It offers a level of self-sustainability that we resonate with, while ensuring health without the often detrimental side-effects. Homeopathy enables the immune system to function appropriately, while the overuse of chemical wormers and antibiotics causes resistant bacteria and parasites that are troublesome to resolve easily–and nothing that we want to be bothered with. We also choose homeopathy because we appreciate that the remedies offer a sustainable medicine which does not expire.

Essential oils certainly have their place on our farm, mostly for cleaning and occasional topical use. I’ve found homeopathy to be so curative that honestly, my little remedies scattered around the house and barn render other drugs unnecessary. What else do I appreciate about homeopathy? I like that we are usually never bothered by the ailment again. Even herbs can have side effects and often have to be used long-term to get results. There are also many herbs that I would never give to a pregnant doe or young kid. Homeopathy is gentle yet effective. It can be used on pregnant animals and kids without pause, and there is no need to discard milk when using them; another huge benefit.

Applying homeopathic remedies to animals is quite easy, as I’ve learned from Joette. Most protocols used to treat human conditions are interchangeable with animals. When treating our goats acutely, we usually administer remedies orally. Another way we offer remedies is in the goats’ drinking water.

If you are a homesteader, listen up: here is Part One of Homeopathy on the Homestead. We’ll cover parasites, eye and skin issues and anxiety issues here, and in Part Two, we’ll discuss joint and tendon problems, how to address Fowl Cholera, treating pneumonia and using homeopathy to address boils and abscesses in animals.

We regularly examine the mouth and gums of our goats and compare them with the FEMACHA chart, and we also conduct fecal exams when necessary so we can stay ahead of the parasites. We do use an herbal wormer which I make myself, but I have found that the easiest and most effective solution for a worm load is Cina. Joette recommended that I use Cina 3x. I had a goat with an overwhelming Coccidia load when she was first purchased. Once I employed Cina however, I was quickly met with a goat who was better able to put on weight and in better general condition. We saw an improvement in her milk output immediately. We also offer diatomaceous earth to our ruminant friends, free choice, as it is high in minerals and also helps eliminate certain parasites.