 It's mind-blowing to learn that many farmers and ranchers are reluctant to use natural therapies for their livestock. Granted, their livelihood is completely contingent on the health and well-being of their animals, but taking a non-medical approach should definitely NOT be considered 'experimental!' Research today supports traditional uses For thousands of years, herdsmen have used traditional folk medicine to treat their livestock and it should be no different today. One approach, people generally are not familiar with is the use of therapeutic grade essential oils to treat a wide spectrum of health concerns germane to animals. A word about flies The journal Parasitology Research published an article in 2012 stating that, The housefly Musca domestica L. is recognized as a public health pest causing a serious threat to human and livestock by vectoring many infectious diseases. [The] chemical control method commonly used against this pest, though effective, has some major disadvantages, such as development of insect resistance and bioaccumulation. Pest management strategies for populations of houseflies are needed. In an effort to provide a solution, Indian researchers evaluated how peppermint, ginger, Indian gooseberry and cinnamon essential oils act as a natural insect repellant. They discovered: Peppermint exhibited a 96.8 percent larvicidal activity and 98.1 percent effectiveness at oviposition (egg laying). Ginger exhibited 84.9 percent repellency and 98.1 percent oviposition deterrence. Cinnamon exhibited 77.9 percent repellency and 60.0 percent oviposition deterrence. Gooseberry exhibited 63.0 percent repellency and 42.6 percent oviposition deterrence. Livestock conditions treated by essential oils Dermatitis - Italian researchers published a study this year uncovering how dogs suffering from dermatitis can effectively be treated by a mixture of essential oils (orange, helichrysum, lavender, oregano, marjoram, peppermint). Amazingly, after treating with an application twice daily for a month, the natural cure outperformed the pharmaceutical-grade cream given to the animals and the benefits lasted for over 180 days with no side effects. Mastitis - Another group of Italian researchers conducted a similar study regarding mastitis and discovered that winter savory and thyme achieved superior results in killing mastitis caused by E. coli and S. aureus . Parasites - Brazilian researchers recently published a study in the journal Veterinary Parasitology that evaluated the efficacy of essential oil therapy on gastrointestinal parasites in sheep. Looking at lemon eucalyptus egg hatch and larval development tests, 30 naturally infected sheep were tested and they discovered that the essential oil therapy reduced worm activity by up to 56 percent in just 10 days. Do-it-yourself There are several different ways you can use essential oils for your animals and for your barnyard. Here are some favorites: Soothing Homemade Udder Salve Natural De-Skunking Remedy Natural Fly Spray Immune Boosting Water to Prevent Salmonella in Chickens How to Clean your Chicken Coop, the Natural Way 