There are thousands of herbs that farmers can use to keep their livestock healthy.
Most of the herbs are wild, but all of them can be planted within the farm.
You can use euphorbiaceae, locally called kisandasanda, boil leaves and drench (too much of it causes diarrhoea).
You can also use caesalpinaceae locally known as mutanjoka. Pound roots, add water and rock salt then drench. There is also asteraceae, locally known as mululuza.
This is sour to a human taste, who also use it to treat malaria. Harvest the leaves, crush them, add water and give the animal. If you use the roots, boil them and then give the water to the animals.
Still for the same disease, a farmer can use cannabis, locally known as njaga. Under Ugandan regulations, it is illegal to grow this weed on a large scale, however one or two plants are allowed to be grown for medical purposes. But if you grow it, report to the authorities exactly what you have.
To give it to livestock, you crush fresh leaves and mix with water. You can also mix with crude lake salt (ekisula) and give the animals to drink.
Furthermore, you can use aloe-vera also known as kigaji to treat helminthosis. Kigaji can easily be grown on the farm. You get the leaves and slice them, boil them for at least 30 minutes and give the water to the animals to drink.
Alternatively, you can slice them into tiny particles and then add them to the livestock feeds.
You can also use tobacco (taaba). Crush leaves and mix with water then drench. You can also boil dried leaves, leave to cool and drench. Tobacco can also be grown on the farm, with seeds that are common now with seed dealers.
There is also capsicum annuum, red-pepper or kamulali. Crush fruits or leaves, mix with ash and water then drench. You can also crush fruits or leaves and mix with tobacco or cannabis and ash then drench.
If you have paw-paws on the farm, it is also a medicine right from the roots to the leaves.
Roots are crushed, boiled with water and little paraffin, then drench. Dried seeds crushed and boiled with water, then drench. Furthermore, there is what is called ginger-bush or kyewamala.
Crush leaves, mix with water and give to drink. You can also crush leaves and put on the wound. For all the herbs, you can give twice or three times a day.
