Add animal care docs for alpacas, horses, and poultry

New animals/ section with mobile-first emergency page (vet contacts,
symptom-to-action table, first aid steps), per-animal daily care for
alpacas (Onu/Sapphi/Phil), horses, and chickens/ducks. Capture hay
quality rules, alpaca cleaning schedule (11 AM, 8 PM), enterotoxemia
schedule, shearer contact, and Sapphi's wound protocol from group
discussions. Add natural/preventative care guide reflecting our
natural-first philosophy with clear escalation criteria. Document
the VetSet first aid kit, chore schedule, and the team-delegated
process for taking on animal-care roles.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

content/animals/natural-care.md

@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+---
+title: Natural & Preventative Care
+description: Holistic, herbal, and preventative practices for our animals
+tags:
+  - animals
+  - natural-care
+  - prevention
+---
+
+# Natural & Preventative Care
+
+> [!important] Our philosophy
+> We tend toward **natural care first** — clean environment, good nutrition, herbs, minerals, low stress. We use antibiotics, vaccinations, and pharmaceutical dewormers **only when absolutely necessary**. **Emergencies still mean: call the vet.** See [[emergency|Animal Emergency]].
+
+## Foundational Principles
+
+The most effective preventative is everything we do every day:
+
+- **Clean environment** — pen cleaning 2× daily for alpacas, dry bedding, fresh water
+- **Good nutrition** — quality hay, balanced minerals, no moldy feed
+- **Low stress** — quiet handling, herd cohesion, predator protection
+- **Observation** — daily health scans, watch for the smallest changes
+- **Fecal exams every 3-4 months** — target deworming only where actually needed (not blanket pharmaceutical treatment)
+
+## Alpacas
+
+### Sel Vitaminé à l'ail
+
+- **Garlic-vitamin salt** — natural prevention against worms and bacterial overgrowth.
+- Provided as part of mineral access.
+
+### Herbal antiparasitic blends
+
+Whole herbs studied for camelid use include: **garlic, wormwood, thyme, oregano, cloves, sage, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne**. Commercial formulations (e.g. Verm-X, WormGuard Plus) combine several.
+
+> [!tip] Lunar timing
+> Many holistic herders deworm **just before and during the full moon** to disrupt the parasite egg-laying cycle.
+
+### Mineral balance
+
+When mineral nutrition is in balance, ruminant digestion improves and they develop more resistance to parasites. Salt + trace mineral access (Redmond-style sea salt or equivalent with 50+ trace minerals) is foundational.
+
+### Skin health
+
+- **Crusty / "elephant" skin** is **not normal** — likely active mange/mite infestation. Treatable. Ask the vet — natural treatments include sulfur dips, herbal washes, but veterinary input is important to confirm diagnosis and severity.
+
+## Horses
+
+### Herbal anthelmintics
+
+Common antiparasitic herbs for horses: **cayenne, garlic, olive leaf, oregano, pau d'arco, wormwood, tansy, burdock, flax seed, cloves**. Available in commercial blends (Silver Lining, Earthsong Ranch, McDowells, etc.).
+
+> [!warning] Garlic alone is not a proven dewormer
+> Some sources contest garlic's antiparasitic effect on horses. Use **fecal exams** to verify whatever protocol you follow — herbal or pharmaceutical — is actually working.
+
+### Immune support herbs
+
+- **Echinacea** — immune stimulation
+- **Spirulina** — beta-carotene, vitamin E, phycocyanin
+- **Turmeric** — anti-inflammatory
+
+### Management practices
+
+- **Pasture rotation** breaks parasite cycles better than any dewormer.
+- **Pick paddocks** of manure regularly.
+- **Cool, dry, well-ventilated** stable reduces respiratory and skin issues.
+
+## Poultry: Holistic Trinity
+
+The classic three for chickens (and ducks):
+
+### 1. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
+
+- **Dose:** 1 tablespoon per gallon of drinking water
+- **Why:** pH balance, electrolytes, pro-/pre-biotics, vitamins, minerals, enzymes
+- **Use:** plastic or glass waterers only — ACV corrodes metal
+
+### 2. Garlic
+
+- **Dose:** crushed clove(s) or powder in feed
+- **Why:** boosts white blood cell production, helps prevent worms, makes blood unappealing to mites/ticks
+- **Tip:** can infuse garlic in ACV for combined dosing
+
+### 3. Diatomaceous Earth (food grade only)
+
+- **Dose:** light dusting in feed (1-2% of feed) and in dust-bath areas
+- **Why:** abrasive to internal/external parasites
+- **Caution:** food grade ONLY. Don't inhale the dust — wear a mask when applying.
+
+### Useful herbs
+
+- **Oregano** — natural antibiotic
+- **Thyme** — respiratory support
+- **Turmeric** — anti-inflammatory (e.g. for bumblefoot swelling)
+- **Mint, lavender, calendula** in nesting boxes — pest deterrent + calming
+
+## When Natural Isn't Enough
+
+Natural care **is not the same as no care**. Pharmaceuticals exist for a reason. Escalate to conventional veterinary treatment when:
+
+- Animal is **getting worse** despite natural protocol
+- **Acute emergency** (colic, severe wound, shock, neurological signs)
+- **Fecal egg count** stays high after herbal treatment
+- Vet specifically recommends it for this animal's case
+
+The goal is **optimal animal welfare**, not ideological purity. Document what works and what doesn't so the herd's history informs future decisions.
+
+## Related
+
+- [[emergency|🚨 Animal Emergency]]
+- [[alpacas|Alpacas]]
+- [[horses|Horses]]
+- [[poultry|Chickens & Ducks]]
+- [[first-aid-kit|First Aid Kit]]