Using Garlic

[MsPigeon]

I heard the same snowy, that nothing is better than fresh for medicinal purposes; processed garlic is only easier to use.

Carol

[Guest slugmonkey]

I recently saw a powdered garlic for horses at the feed store it is supposed to keep the flies away it was just garlig powder I belive

[Guest]

IF YOU USES GARLIC RAW.

 

DO YOU JUST CROP GARLIC RAW IN TO WATER BOTTLE AND SHAKE IT OR LEAVES GARLIC BULBs IN THE WATER BOTTLE OVER THE NIGHT, ?

 

 

[Guest slugmonkey]

I just pick off the root end and mash the clove between fingers and throw in the whole thing and filler up I leave it in till I change water I shake them out then

[snowy]

just get 2-3 cloves, cut each clove in half pop it into 1 LTR of water for 24 hours, then give it to them, but taking the cloves out

[frank-123]

i just put a whole garlic bulb skin taken off  crushed into two pints of cold water

leave it over night share it between my two drinkers with the garlic still in the water

pigeons still alive!!!!!!

[CREBAG]

another good trick with garlic, try cutting the cloves into pea size pieces and give each bird a piece  down there throat, watch the down feathers flow!!!!!!!

[Guest]

How many times week do you changes clove garlic in the bottle water ?

[Guest speckled]

Oh well i use garlic every day in the drinker, :-/ place a whole garlic clove in the dinker,leave it there to grow,some say that garlic should not be used every day, so ask me this qustion , when ya go to the health shop to buy, or treat yourself to any sort of supplements you feel ya body need, Q1 do you only take them for so many days, or Q2 do you need to continue to take every day for these to make any affect.thought  iwould ask. Speckled

:-/

[symbro]

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=12553

 

here is a thread on garlic from another forum...

 

i have been putting a sliver of garlic in with my injured bird.  man does he stink now.  but it is supposed to be helping :*)

[Guest]

Garlic, whose scientific name is Allium sativum, is a common plant used worldwide for food. Since ancient times, garlic has been used for a variety of human ailments and problems, and even magical properties to ward off evil spirits have been attributed to garlic. In fact, it was once considered to be absolutely essential in warding off vampires! In more modern times, the use of garlic has been a topic of research, especially in human medicine. Garlic has been reported to have insecticidal, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-cancer properties, as well as those of lowering blood sugar and fat levels, and reducing the dangerous plaques that bring about plugging of blood vessels that lead to heart attacks and strokes in humans. It seems that popular interest is greatest in Germany where garlic preparations for humans account for the largest sales of all over-the-counter drugs. How garlic affects racing pigeons is speculative, but here are some general facts gleaned about this plant from a few human medical and nutritional publications.The principal, active agent of garlic is allicin, a sulfur-containing compound, which, with its breakdown products, produces the characteristic odor. The odor is related to the presence of sulfur. When the cloves are crushed, allicin is formed by the action of enzymes on a pre-existing chemical known as alliin. Other biologically active compounds related to allicin, such as ajoene, may be extracted from garlic as well. The positive effects of fresh cloves of garlic seem fairly certain, whereas information for modern commercial preparations in general is not very convincing, to say the least. One reason for the difficulty of showing the effectiveness of garlic is that many active chemical compounds in the cloves may be lost during processing --and this is a major problem with commercial products. For example, carefully dried sliced cloves seem to retain their potency, but extracts or oils prepared by steam distillation or organic solvents may have little activity. Cold-aged extracts have a reduced odor and may retain more of the activity of garlic. Allicin is known to break down during steam distillation for the production of the volatile oils used in many garlic preparations. As well, the alliin content of natural garlic can vary 10-fold. There is also confusion about the issue of "odorless" garlic preparations. Some of them have no aroma, but neither do they contain any active ingredient. Some active preparations may not have an odor, but if allicin is released when the product is eaten, there is a very good chance that there will be a detectable aroma -- and it is the aroma that is one of the problems. Potency of garlic appears to depend on pungency, - that is, odor. Once garlic is dried into odor-free powders or pills, it loses some of the properties that may make it useful in health! Distilling all of the information about garlic to a few simple statements is very difficult to do. However, it seems that, whatever the basis for its use, at the moment, fresh cloves are the superior source for the important ingredients of garlic. Other commercial preparations such as powders or oils may or may not be useful, since the processing procedures may dilute or eliminate the effective compounds. If you have a choice then -- and most of us do -- buy cloves of garlicfrom your grocery store and prepare fresh solutions as you need them. Given the "touchy" nature of the important, active compounds in garlic, it seems likely that heating or boiling crushed cloves above 60oC (140oF) (remember that water boils at 100oC (212oF), likely results in a major loss of key ingredients. On the basis of this information, it is logical that home preparations of solutions of garlic should not be heated, in order to retain the important compounds in the soution. Be aware that allicin is readily converted to a more volatile compound call diallyl disulfide -- which means that its effects can be transient. Allicin is known to have antibacterial properties and has been said to be effective in concentrations as low as 1:125,000 (that is, one part allicin to 125,000 parts water). When compared with penicillin, allicin is said to have an activity that is about 1% of the activity of penicillin. Garlic inhibits the growth of, or kills, about two dozen kinds of bacteria (including Staphylococcus and Salmonella spp.), and at least 60 types of fungi and yeasts. Allicin appears to be the major chemical responsible for this effect. So if the aroma is destroyed by cooking or processing, and allicin is associated with the odor, garlic may lose its ability to fight bacteria, mold and yeasts. In one recent study, researchers looked at the ability of garlic to kill the organism causing tuberculosis. They added an allicin-rich garlic extract to 30 strains of tuberculosis-causing bacteria growing in test tubes. A month later, the garlic had done critical damage to all 30 cultures. The trace minerals selenium and germanium are two constituents of Japanese garlic, and these minerals may have some effect by their activity firstly, as antioxidants, that is, substances that protect cells and tissues from the damaging effects of peroxides in the body. Secondly they are important in the normal development of the immune system, and thirdly, they may have good activity as anti-cancer agents. Selenium itself has been shown to have a broad spectrum of anti-cancer activity in rats, for example.

 

On the other side of the coin, many cases of allergic reactions to garlic are known to occur in humans. Reactions such as dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) and asthma are reported. One investigator found that the maximum tolerable dose of fresh aqueous extract (i.e. extracted into awater-based solution) in humans to be 25 cc (slightly under one ounce). Amounts greater than this caused severe burning sensations in the esophagus (gullet) and stomach, as well as vomiting. Some compounds extracted from garlic are similarly irritating to tissues in the mouth of humans. A possible benefit of garlic or its compounds may be its ability to increase mechanisms for eliminating substances such as cancer-producing agents. In some studies, garlic has been shown to have a stimulating effect on certain enzymes that are known to be effective in removing toxic (poisonous) substances from the body. These substances can damage body organs, and even lead to cancerous changes, so garlic may well provide some measure of protection. In a laboratory study for example, mice were fed diallyl sulfide obtained from garlic, prior to being exposed to a cancer-causing chemical. Mice fed the garlic-derived compound had 74% fewer cancers of the colon (large intestine) than those that did not receive the garlic compound. It has also been shown in animals that the sulfide compounds of garlic can inhibit the development of cancer of the lung, large intestine, and esophagus. Unfortunately, there is no solid evidence that garlic can protect humans from cancer. This may be because it doesn't protect, or because few good studies have been done in humans.

 

The question about whether garlic is good for human hearts can't be answered yet. It is simply too early to tell. However, preliminary studies in humans and animals suggest that garlic may lower levels of artery-clogging fats such as LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and raise levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol. In rabbits and rats fed raw garlic or garlic oil, LDL cholesterol levels dropped and HDL cholesterol levels rose. The catch is that the amounts used were equivalent to 14 to 230 cloves per day for a human! Obviously it would be very difficult to stand too close to such a person! There may be other positive effects for blood vessels. Garlic appears to increase the time it takes blood to clot, and may help to dissolve clots that have already formed. Obviously one bad effect would be the failure to allow the blood to clot in individuals also on other drugs that are used for the same purpose -- in other words, bleeding could occur when garlic and certain other drugs are used together. Much, much more work has to be done to evaluate the effect of garlic on human and animal health.

 

Now what about the use of garlic in racing pigeons? It is a popular, widely used product, but solid, scientific information on its effects in pigeons seems to be scarce. Everything from cloves of garlic to powders, pills and oils are available in health food stores, grocery stores and by companies selling products for pigeons. Are there any real benefits, or are the "benefits" in the eye of the beholder, i.e. the fancier who uses garlic products? Everyone seems to have an opinion, but are there many facts? Little scientific information for racing pigeons seems to be readily available, but it should be possible to extrapolate information from work done in humans and laboratory animals to pigeons.

 

Firstly (and foremostly), logic based on a number of studies, says that the very best source of the good effects of garlic is fresh cloves of garlic. Manufacturing procedures in the preparation of garlic powders, liquids and oils can vary considerably, and since important, active compounds in garlic can be lost very easily when garlic is processed to produce these liquids and powders, etc., it seems best to avoid these products as they may contain few, if any, of the useful compounds in garlic. Further, it is best to crush cloves of garlic, and add them directly to drinking water for pigeons, rather than heating or boiling them, to avoid losing a number of key chemicals in the cloves. Remember that heating garlic cloves above 60oC (140oF) can cause the loss of odor and medicinal properties.

 

Secondly, garlic may provide a temporary antibiotic effect on disease-producing bacteria, fungi and yeasts, both in the digestive tract and body tissues, by reducing their numbers during the period that it is in the drinking water.

 

Thirdly, the trace minerals selenium and germanium present in garlic may give a boost to the immune system of pigeons, to increase their ability to fight disease-producing organisms of many kinds. In domestic livestock, selenium is known to be important in the normal development of the immune system while the animal is growing in the uterus. A deficiency of selenium and Vitamin E has a definite adverse effect, because in such deficiencies, the development of the immune system is retarded. As a result, the newborn animal or bird may be completely or severely restricted from protecting itself against invading organisms of all kinds.

 

Fourthly, although dissolving blood clots (the cause of heart attacks and strokes in humans) or preventing their formation in the arteries of humans is important in human medicine, it is known that racing pigeons are highly resistant to the buildup of fatty substances in their arteries. In humans, these fatty substances may clog blood vessels or they may induce the formation of a clot at the point where the vessel is narrowed by the fatty deposits, and result in a heart attack or stroke. In contrast to racing pigeons, some meat-producing breeds of pigeons are very susceptible to a buildup of fatty substances in their vessels. So garlic might be of benefit to meat varieties of pigeons, but as racing pigeons are highly resistant to this type of buildup, the benefit might not be so great in the blood vessels of racing pigeons.

 

Fifthly, garlic as a de-toxifying agent could have a role as a "blood purifier" or a "tissue purifier", so to speak -- whatever these phrases may mean, since they can and do cloak a great deal of the ignorance we all share on this subject. Both are meaningless expressions that really don't explain anything, but they are used commonly in the mystique of pigeon racing! That aside, there are indications that chemical compounds in garlic may assist the body to de-toxify, neutralize or eliminate noxious substances. In pigeons, the use of garlic after a race may assist the so-called "depurative" diets -- whatever that might mean -- in restoring a bird to normal racing condition. Whether lactic acidosis is a real problem in returned racers is still debatable, in my opinion. Because fat is unquestionably the major fuel for racing, and because the burning of fat for energy by racing birds is an aerobic process in the body, lactic acid-- which results when glycogen is used as fuel in an anaerobic process -- should not be produced, at least in any great amount. Braking and landing at the end of a race are very likely anaerobic processes, but the amount of lactic acid produced from such rapidly occurring events should be miniscule. In theory, if it could be shown that birds actually sprint the last few miles of a race, much as a human marathon runner might sprint the last 100 yards or so, then there could be a good basis for believing that lactic acid -- one of the so-called "impurities" in the blood -- is produced, and that it needs to be eliminated. Lactic acid is known to be produced in human distance runners who sprint the last leg of a race. However, in most cases, usually a 20 minute "cool-down" walk will effectively "burn off" or eliminate the lactic acid from the system. It is known that pigeons that are not exercised reasonably soon after a long grueling race may develop marked swelling of the breast muscles that become hard and board-like. The birds become "tied up" and have difficulty flying from the floor to the lowest perches or nest boxes. Given this knowledge, it is possible, and indeed likely, that lactic acidosis is involved in such situations and that early workouts after a race would eliminate this problem. It is also possible that the use of crushed garlic cloves in drinking water at this time might add some extra benefit in allowing the liver and other organs to metabolize lactic acid and other compounds, and to help restore the birds to normal racing condition. I am aware that there are certain claims by fanciers about the use of garlic in dealing with problems in the respiratory (breathing) system of pigeons. Unfortunately, there was just nothing in the literature that was available to me to indicate that garlic was useful in dealing with the sinuses, trachea (windpipe) or lungs. This is not to say that garlic isn't useful in these organs it's just that I didn't read any reference to the effects of garlic on the respiratory system.

 

Dosages of garlic for pigeons are difficult to come by, particularly since there is such variabliity in the amount of the key chemical, alliin, (which is converted to the active compound allicin), in garlic cloves.

 

Garlic in racing pigeons remains quite an enigma, and as fanciers, many of us use it without really knowing why, but our ignorance is shared by many people, including the human and veterinary medical communities, who have only tantalizing bits of information to suggest that there may be a number of positive effects from the use of garlic. Certainly, as indicated earlier in this article, studies in laboratory animals and humans suggest a number of desirable effects from the use of garlic. Whether these effects apply directly to racing pigeons is just not known at this time. However, present evidence from human and laboratory animal work, and the empirical experience of many fanciers, suggest that, when used judiciously, crushed cloves of garlic, used in drinking water, may be a useful product in the loft throughout the year, but especially during rearing and the racing season. At present, garlic-based oils, powders and pills are likely much less useful. Possibly newer developments in extracting the active principles of garlic may get around the present problems associated with current methods. Until these problems are solved, fresh cloves of garlic from the grocery store are still the best source of the medicinal properties of garlic. I hope that this sketchy outline of the potential value of garlic, and some of its risks, may stimulate more controlled research on its value (or lack of) in racing pigeons. There is much to learn! This article merely scratches the surface.

[Guest]

Hi, Speckled, ask much the same questions of myself now and again. Reckon it depends on what you are trying to do.  

 

I certainly take your point about 'daily', Speckled. The one thing I have against 'stuff' (not garlic) going into the drinker daily (on the pretext that it boosts the immune system) is that it does nothing of the sort ... its basically doing medically what the immune system should be doing naturally, by itself. And if its not working naturally and dealing with these microbe threats daily , then its actually being weakened. That is why I stick to garlic, and only twice per week... plain tap water the other five days.

 

When you move into the field of an athlete in training, (which a pigeon is during the racing season) I honestly don't know if something 'extra' is required, outwith the correct diet for the job in hand.  

 

 

To answer your Questions on USE OF GARLIC, Speckled, me humble opinion:-

 

(1) If you pop only one clove from a garlic bulb into your drinker, which is a fairly weak garlic solution, every day, then I think you are using it the same way as you would use any herb as a part of your personal healthcare routine, for example you drinking a cup of green tea a day.

 

(2) If you are using several cloves from a garlic bulb in your drinker, it is a strong garlic solution, and probably best used only a couple of times a week to help keep the bird free from any internal problems. I call it 'policing'. I exercise care that it's not too strong to make sure that the bird isn't put-off drinking water.

 

(3) If you pop one or two slivers cut from a clove, into a jar of water for a bird in isolation, you are using a very strong solution as a natural medicine, to treat a specific condition THAT YOU KNOW GARLIC WILL CURE , probably over 7 days.

 

 

 

 

[symbro]

we used powdered garlic on our dog and cats food to keep fleas away.  but not sure if it still does all the good things freash garlic does

[snowy]

also plant bulbs all round the loft (to keep a lot of insects away) & plant some next to flowers/vegetables, this also stops the greenfly & others infesting the plants & vegetables.

[snowy]

also plant bulbs all round the loft (to keep a lot of insects away) & plant some next to flowers/vegetables, this also stops the greenfly & others infesting the plants & vegetables.

[Guest]

Webmaster,

 

Could you put two Garlic and Raw Garlic topic into one topic please?

[anidapee]

Scottish garlic farm

its a lot colder up there than here .....

http://www.reallygarlicky.com/main.html

[THEMAN]

I use minced dehydrated garlic in their feed.  The wife picks it up for me when she goes to the grocery store and I put it in their feed daily.   I like this better than in the water because you dont have the slime in the waterer.  Gives the loft a nice garlic smell as well( must be in the droppings lol).

 

Tony

[Guest]

Came across this article with a difference on garlic. Names organisms which garlic has been PROVED effective against (which I've highlighted) and gives references to the research that proved it. Also recommends crushing the garlic clove, fresh & raw.  And all for 25 pence a bulb in the UK, one bulb does my team of 32 pigeons for a week.  

 

 

GARLIC (ALLIUM SATIVUM)

 

Garlic is taken orally to reduce high blood pressure, prevent heart disease and artherosclerosis, treat earaches, stimulate both the immune and circulatory systems and prevent cancer. Other applications include treating diabetes, arthritis, colds and flu, fighting stress and fatigue and maintaining healthy liver function (1).

 

Antibacterial and antifungal properties

Various official monographs list garlic as being both antibacterial and antimycotic (suppresses the growth of certain fungi) (1) (3) (4). Consequently garlic is administered to treat Helicobacter pylori infections (2) (5), and to inhibit the growth of Candida albicans, particularly in cases of recurrent yeast infections (6).

 

Anthelmintic properties (ie against worms)

Parasitic worms are also apparently susceptible to garlic. The World Health Organisation “Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants” reports garlic has having been used to treat roundworm (Ascaris strongyloides) and hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum and Necator americanus) infestations, listing allicin as the active anthelmintic constituent (4).

 

Anitiviral properties

The United States Department of Agriculture lists garlic as being a viricide on its Medicinal Plant Database (7).

 

The garlic bulb contains an amino acid derivative called alliin which is in fact odourless and contains no antibacterial properties. However when the garlic bulb is crushed or ground, alliin comes into contact with an enzyme (alliinase) that converts the alliin into allicin. Allicin is the reason for garlic’s distinctive odour, and is a potent antibacterial agent (8.

 

The use of garlic in history goes back thousands of years, with Hippocrates, Galen, Pliny the Elder, and Dioscorides all reporting its use for various conditions, including parasites, low energy, and respiratory and digestive disorders. Garlic’s reputation in Western medicine was established in 1858 when Louis Pasteur confirmed its antibacterial properties (6). Traditional Chinese medicine has used garlic since at least A.D. 510 (6), and is still using it for amoebic and bacterial dysentery, tuberculosis, scalp ringworm and vaginal trichomoniasis.

 

Other folk medicine cultures have traditionally used garlic for treating colds and flu, fever, coughs, headache, hemorrhoids asthma, arteriosclerosis, low blood pressure, both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, cancer and as an aphrodisiac (amongst other things) (1) (3). Garlic has also been used to treat pinworms (3).

 

Antiparasitic properties

The antiparasitic nature of garlic is demonstrated in the uses to which it has been applied in folk medicines around the world. For example, it has been traditionally used to treat parasitic worms in such diverse cultures as East Asia, India, Italy, North America, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the West Indies. Traditional practitioners in Greece have long used garlic extracts to protect against amoebic infections (9).

 

Effective Antimicrobial

Laboratory tests (both in test tubes and in animals) have demonstrated that fresh garlic has antimicrobial activities (including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiprotozoal, and antiparasitic) (1) (5) (9).

Particular activity against B. subtilis, E. coli, P. mirabilis, Salmonella typhi, methicillin-resistant Staph aureus, Staph faecalis, salmonella enteritidis, and V. cholerae have been noted (1) (5). Bacteria shown to be susceptible to garlic in the test tube include species from Staphylococcus, Escherichia, Proteus, Salmonella, Providencia, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Hafnia, Aeromonas, Vibrio and Bacillus genera (5). Human trials as well as in vitro studies have shown that garlic consumption is active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (9).

 

An epidemiological study in China among 214 people from the Shandong province suggested that garlic consumption may have a protective effect against H. pylori infection and the development and progression of precancerous gastric lesions (10).

 

Effective Antifungal

Fungi demonstrated to be susceptible to garlic in lab tests include the genera Microsporum, Epidermophyton, Trichophyton, Rhodotorula, Torulopsis, Trichosporon, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Candida, including Candida albicans. It is reported that garlic is more effective against pathogenic yeasts than nystatin, especially Candida albicans (1) (5) (9) (11).

 

Effective Antiamoebic (single celled animals & plants)

Essential garlic oils were active on Entamoeba histolytica in clinical trials, confirming its potential for antiamoebic activity (9).

 

Effective Antiprotozoan (single celled animal)

Antiprotozoan activity has also been demonstrated in lab tests against Paramecium caudatum (9). Garlic has also shown itself in lab tests to have several immune-enhancing effects (5).

 

Fresh garlic, garlic extracts, oil and oleoresin have been generally recognised as safe when consumed in amounts commonly found in food. Garlic has been used for medicinal purposes in clinical studies lasting up to 4 years without reports of significant toxicity. It is possibly unsafe when consumed in large amounts, with the American Herbal Products Association Botanical Safety Handbook claiming that high doses could be dangerous or even fatal for children. There are, however, no reported cases of significant adverse reactions or mortality in children associated with the ingestion of garlic.

 

There are no published reports of garlic adversely affecting pregnancy, although it would be wise to avoid consuming large amounts during these times. (Theoretically large amounts of garlic might act as an abortifacient causing uterine contractions.) There is a lack of reliable information dealing with the use of garlic while breastfeeding, but it has been generally accepted that consuming it in amounts commonly found in food would be safe (1).

 

 

Article by Mark Porter.

 

 

REFERENCES

(1) Jellin JM, Batz F, Hitchens K. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Third Edition. Stockton, California: Therapeutic Research Faculty, 2000.

(2) Blumenthal M, et. al. ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin: American Botanical Council, 1998.

(3) Lueng AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Foord, Drugs and Cosmetics. Second Edition. New York, NY: Wiley & Sons, 1996.

(4) World Health Organisation (WHO) (1999). Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants. Volume 1. WHO, Geneva.

(5) Barnes J, Anderson LA, Phillipson JD, Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. Second Edition. London: Pharmaceutical Press, 2002.

(6) “Garlic (Allium Sativum).” Vitaminevi Herbal Index. 1998. Accessed April 4, 2003. http://www.vitaminevi.com/Herb/Garlic.htm

(7) “Garlic, Allium sativum.” United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Medicinal Plant Database. Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. (Accessed May 30, 2003). http://www.pl.barc.usda.gov/plant_detail.cfm?plant_id=84

(8. Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler’s Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies. Fourth Edition. New York: The Haworth Herbal Press, 1999.

(9) Ross I. Medicinal Plants of the World: Chemical Constituents, Traditional and Modern Medicinal Uses. Totowa: Humana Press, 1999

(10) You WC, Zhang L, Gail MH, Ma JL, Chang YS, Blot WJ, Li JY, Zhao CL, Liu WD, Li HQ, Hu YR, Bravo JC, Correa P, Fraumeni JF Jr. Helicobacter pylori infection, garlic intake and precancerous lesions in a Chinese population at low risk of gastric cancer. Int J Epidemiol. 1998 Dec; 27 (6): 941-4.

(11) Arora DS, Kaur J. Antimicrobial activity of spices. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 1999 Aug; 12 (3): 257-62.

 

 

 

 

[schouwman71]

i put a full bulb in a pop bottle 2lts fill it up with warm water.leave for a few days then i put a table spoon to 2ltrs water once a week,i keep the cloves in the bottle all the time.Idont make anymore up untill i have used that one which is about 12 months.

[Guest speckled]

So whya keep it in a botlle, why not keep the cloves in the water for the birds 12 months, ok people say that thay do not need it all year round, as the longer the garlic is in the water, the stonger the  dossage but i myself leave it in the birds water , but bearing in mind, i change the water & wash the drinkers out every day so i do not get the residue hanging around the bottom of the drinker, and my birds get the same dossage of garlic.in the water each day no higher on lower, as the drinkers always get put in after the birds have eaten & not before.Thay dont seem to worry about the cloves floating around & thay have a good drink aswell. Just a thought  Speckled.

[snowy]

use the old garlic bulbs thats left in bottom of bottle , refill with water, leave it for 3-5 days & use it for birds bath.

[Guest]

i put a full bulb in a pop bottle 2lts fill it up with warm water.

 

Might as well throw it out. If you heat garlic, you kill the active ingredient, allicin.

 

 

[snowy]

very good link

[Guest]

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