FINCHforum

I just ordered a pound of dried neem leaves so I can make neem tea for my birds and try a natural medicinal route verses all the drugs. Can anyone tell me how is the right way to make it ? I know I should offer them a seperate water bowl for a awhile to make sure they are drinking and not getting dehydrated. As of now my birds seem better and molting like crazy.

Thank you
Cathy

I have never heard of this. What does it help with. My grandma made tea from leaves from one of her tree plant things. She boiled water, put some leave in andd smashed it up. I would never drink it, but maybe it is the same way with birds

PM Misty. She uses it. MLaRue

This is a paragraph out of an article Written by Lainey Alexander on neem tea.

Here's how I make the tea:

I use one cup of dried neem leaves, lightly pressed down into a measuring cup, per eight cups of water. I place the neem leaves into a glass mason jar, pour water just off the boil over the leaves, cover the jar and let the tea steep for at least one hour, then strain the tea through a fine sieve or strainer just before serving. I make enough for 12 hours at a time. It can be stored in the refrigerator for use later in the day (with the leaves in the water). I often make the tea before bed and refrigerate it overnight so it will be ready first thing in the morning.

This too is a exerpt from Lainey Alexander on uses of neem tea


NEEM LEAF TEA USES

I like to use neem leaf tea for my finches, canaries and parakeets because it is so easy to administer. However, if a bird does not like the taste of the tea, they can easily become dehydrated and die. I know of cases where this has happened. Therefore, I urge people to use extreme vigilance when using this tea, to watch for any signs of dehydration. To repeat myself: at the end of each day for the first few days, fresh water should be offered to make sure the birds are not overly thirsty. If the birds drink excessively, the tea should be stopped. Also, if birds become lethargic or puffy on the tea, it should be discontinued.

I use neem leaf tea to treat all forms of infections in birds including viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, air sac mites, red mites, and so on. I like to use the tea for the least amount of time necessary to eradicate the microbes as it is a very strong medicinal. Also, I recommend that probiotics such as Garden of Life's Primal Defense be used during and after the neem tea treatment to enhance the tea's effectiveness and to ensure the healthiest possible digestive and immune status during the treatment period.

For bacteria and fungus, I use the tea as the sole drinking water source six days per week for two to three weeks. I continue using it for at least five days after all symptoms clear. In bacteria and fungal cases, I usually see improvement within three days although I have also seen it take a full three weeks to see improvement. For parasites and virus issues, I use the tea five days per week as the sole water source for three months, and in these cases, I like to see improvement within the first week.

NOTE: It appears that neem leaf treatments are more effective when the tea is used in open water dishes for small birds, as they will bathe in the tea and enhance the penetration of the neem into the skin and bloodstream. In the case of air sac mites, it is often necessary to use open water baths in conjunction with twice daily spray baths (use the tea in a spritzer and spray the birds thoroughly). For larger birds, it is most helpful to use the tea as the sole source of drinking water as well to provide daily spray baths with the tea in a spritzer.