Rearing and Eating Locally-Grown Organic Small-Scale Poultry and Rabbits in British Columbia, Canada

Ethnoveterinary remedies used for poultry and rabbits in British Columbia were obtained from interviews and a participatory workshop held with organic poultry and rabbit keepers in British Columbia. Medicinal plants are used to treat a range of conditions in small-scale organic agriculture. Nineteen species of plants representing 12 plant families were documented for treating poultry and eleven species from eight families for treating rabbits. More than 19 plant species from 12 families were identified as poultry feed and at least 20 plants from eight families are fed to rabbits. Furthermore, specific trees were used to maintain dental health of rabbits. Among the remedies reported, Echinacea spp., Chenopodium spp., Artemisia spp., and Nicotiana spp. are well known. Thirty-six plants used in British Columbia were tropical in origin or grow in the tropics. The use of medicinal plants in animal health care can help maintain on-farm plant biodiversity.