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Garlic


Guest j v ward
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I always have a 3 litre bottle of water with a complete bulb of cloves in it, and give this to the birds at least once a week. ;) And when I feel the bulb needs replacing, I pour the water and old cloves into the birds bath ;)

 

That's a really good idea, waste not want not eh.  I usually make it up fresh the night before, a few cloves in a cup full of water and use that as my concentrate then I pour a quarter of the cup in each drinker and top drinker up with water, I leave the crushed cloves in it too.

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I'm wary of putting anything in the drinker because I do not want to put the birds off drinking in the loft. So for me its always fresh crushed garlic, a half bulb to 2ltr tap water. I've checked during the close season, and they drink as much of this as they do plain tap water, they also don't suffer ill-health either so this strength seems to suit.

 

So strength and how processed are important issues. Anything that involves heat destroys the active agent. How strong is it, do the birds drink as much of it as they do plain tap water? And remember that garlic is an antibiotic and will / could kill gut friendly bacteria too, so be careful how you use it - you may be doing the exact opposite of what you intended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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is it as good to use garlic granules insted of garlic cloves in pigeons water

 

Many years ago now, I read an article about Entione Devos (Belgium flyer) & he mixed up enough garlic water etc for ten days in a large container at his lofts, & then placed it in there water trough every day.

Now !!!!!, what I do is, I purchase at the local supermarket in a jar, ( costs me a dollar) garlic cloves concentrate 97% garlic with a bit of vinegar etc, & every Sunday night, I mix up 7 - 1 litre jars with lids of garlic & water 1 spoonful per jar etc & give to the birds most days. it really does stink  ;D ;D ;D especially after a week & my wife (she who must be obeyed) will not allow me to do it in the house in the kitchen. Outside every time for me when I do it etc.

"The purists"  ;D ;D ;D may say use garlic gloves in there natural form. But to me, you can carry things a bit to far at times one could say. So that is why ???? I have the system in place which I have/use.

Enjoy

 

 

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Not so much 'purist' but more to do with the amount of information out there on garlic - seems to be I look for and get an answer to one question and that leads to two other questions.  :)  

 

Seems processed garlic doesn't contain allicin - the main active ingredient (there are others but this is one with the many benefits, including antimicrobial and antiviral).

 

Allicin is said to have a shelf-life, it starts degrading after a couple of hours.

 

This thread shows garlic being mixed with acid (vinegar). Garlic is an alkaline herb, aren't acids & alkalines supposed to react in some way?

 

 

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What I have read on garlic also states that heat detroys the benefits in garlic. It also said that the smaller you chop it the more of the goodiies of garlic are released and made useable.

I use fresh garlic because I grow it and I just break the cloves into pieces, I'm not fussy about the skins either. If I can't smell garlic when I freshen the water I break it again and just keep useing it till the smell is gone.

I have found that my birds like the garlic water, even with a choice of plain or garlic water.

Lennut Tar's way sounds nice and easy. I think if I didn't have my own garlic I might look into the jarred kind and how processed it is. But as IB pointed out it loses the goodies quickly so whats the point of giving it if it doesn't have the good stuff in it? I'm sure it's not just because the garlic flavor or smell helps the birds any.  :D

Interesting thoughts.

Thanks for the info all.

Carol

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Allicin is the potent antimicrobial (substance that kills bacteria and other pathogens) that is formed when you crush garlic. Allicin is also responsible for the fresh clean smell of newly crushed garlic. Garlic does not contain allicin. It contains the precursor, alliin and the enzyme allinase in different cells. When garlic is crushed the two come together in a moist environment to form allicin. Allicin in turn breaks down over a period of days.

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  • 1 month later...

I think any kind of oil is meant to go on the food?

 

Oil and water don't mix well, I think the oil would just lie on the top and make a mess of the birds face when it drank?

 

Agree with last post. Peel then crush the garlic, put it all in the drinker. Save the peelings, and the water when you come to change it, and add that to the bath water - garlic water is an insecticide too and will keep the birds clean - not bad for 30 pence. (GBP 0.30)

 

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I think any kind of oil is meant to go on the food?

 

Oil and water don't mix well, I think the oil would just lie on the top and make a mess of the birds face when it drank?

 

Agree with last post. Peel then crush the garlic, put it all in the drinker. Save the peelings, and the water when you come to change it, and add that to the bath water - garlic water is an insecticide too and will keep the birds clean - not bad for 30 pence. (GBP 0.30)

 

totally agree with that used peeled/crushed cloves in drinkers over 30+ years  & as say put it in bath water ,best value for 30p you can get for pigeons

the garlic oil is meant to be mixed in with corn ,but it's a waste of money as all the goodness contained in the garlic has gone during the processing procedure ...

stick with the cloves in the water

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