I’m Mariko, a permaculturalist, sharing my thoughts on “playing, living, working and studying” from New Zealand!
Two years ago, my husband built a chicken coop at my request.
All that was left was to put the chickens in.
But then we suddenly decided to travel in Japan for a year.
So… no chickens.
Finally, after all this time — we got some!
Egg crisis in New Zealand
With the rising price of eggs, our egg dishes had quietly disappeared from our family table.
We’d share three eggs among four people, and even when baking a cake, I’d use just one egg. It was a lonely dinner table.
Now, since the chickens arrived, we get three eggs almost every day.
Even if I eat the last one, I can relax, knowing:
“They’ll lay another egg today.”
But wait… isn’t that strange?
There are four of them, yet we never have a day with four eggs.
“Hasn’t anyone laid eggs?” I began to wonder.
The One Who Doesn’t Eat
From left: Brownie, Whitey, Blackie, Mocha
The suspicious one? Mocha.
When Mocha first arrived, the feathers around her bottom were so thin you could see her skin when she spread her wings.
It’s not uncommon for chickens to bully weaker ones.
If they peck at exposed skin, it gonna be a protein for other hangry birds.
But even when I watched carefully, no one seemed to be bullying her.
They were all just chilling, keeping a comfortable distance.
Is garlic effective against chicken mites?
So I started wondering — maybe it’s mites.
They could be annoying her.
A little crushed garlic mixed into their food sounded like a good idea.
That’s what I learned from a lady who keeps chickens in her backyard.
As an experiment, I mixed a bit of garlic into their dinner that day —
and suddenly, all four of them snapped their heads up, eyes sparkling, and devoured it in one go.
Garlic: unbelievably effective.
However…
from that day on, Mocha’s behavior began to change.
The chicken’s predilection begins
The day after that special meal, Mocha started getting picky about food.
When I served the regular pellets, she just sighed — clearly bored with such ordinary fare.
What a fuss!
Day by day, her eating slowed down even more… until finally, she was falling asleep during dinner.
There’s no way a chicken would skip dinner.
Even if you walk so far that they can’t see you, the moment they hear the sound of food being served, they come running at full speed.
So if Mocha’s not eating… something must be wrong.
Could she be sick?
Bird flu? Oh no — that’s the last thing we want!
Chicken vomits
Mocha was sleeping more and more each day — and eating less and less.
It looked like she hadn’t eaten a single bite that day…
I’d better check her body.
Normally, she’d run away when I get close to her, but that day she was so weak I could easily pick her up.
And then—
Whoosh!
She shook her head and sprayed water from her mouth like a garden hose.
I even got splashed all over my head!
That settled it — quarantine time.
But… where should we keep her?
Found it. I will keep her in the chicken( Rabbit ) house for a while.
Mocha’s abnormality is discovered
It sounds cruel, but holding a chicken gently upside down by its legs can calm it down.
When I did, a liquid started to flow from her mouth — no bad smell, just a sludgy mix of pellets and corns that she normally eats.
After emptying her stomach, Mocha perked up.
But then I noticed something odd — a spongy, crusty lump stuck to her skin near the tail feathers.
It’s a spongy, crusty mass that stack to the skin.
Maybe, old droppings fused into a chicken hairball?
Also I found a thing.
I found a nipple like pointing thing on her back near the tail feathers. I haven’t seen any other chickens so I don’t know what it is.
And chicken mites were found all over her body.
Tea tree oil for chicken mites
Usually saying that talcum powder should works for get rid of mites. But it didn’t reach the base of their fluffy feathers. I don’t think this will work.
This tea tree oil is our everyday remedy. It quickly heals mouth ulcers, soothes sore or itchy throats, and even helps clear phlegm. I even use it as a gargle (though it definitely doesn’t say that on the label).
I mixed one drop of the extract with about 100 ml of cooking oil and applied it to Mocha’s body. The mites disappeared almost instantly!
Mocha’s feathers did turn a bit sticky — like sheep’s wool—
But it should keep the bugs away for a while.
Bacteria for bacteria
Now, about her stomach…
Maybe there’s a parasite living in there?
She’s not exactly a pet, so I can’t really afford a vet visit.
Maybe she needs antibiotics—but what could I use instead, the organic way?
Honey, perhaps?
I’ve also heard that apple cider vinegar works well when you’re feeling unwell.
Lately, I’ve gained a little more faith in the healing power of nature,
so I’ve been experimenting with a few… let’s just say, questionable concoctions.
I mixed lemon peel, water, and honey, and left it on the windowsill for about three months.
It sounded like it could pass as a kind of enzyme water.
I call it my own “Nameless Lemon Water.”
When I told my Japanese fermentation and brewing teacher how I’d made it, she was amazed.
She said it’s actually very similar to Okinawa’s rare type of fermented lemon water, which is known to be great for digestive health.
So, I decided to dilute it with water and give it to Mocha.
Mocha is back
Wow, you’re drinking a lot. It seemed to be enjoying it even more than I expected.
She will be kept in isolation for three days and monitored, but appears to be on the road to recovery.
