First, and foremost Echinacea is an immune supporting herb and it serves to support the immune functions through stimulatory and strengthening actions at various levels within the body. Echinacea serves to support disease resistance in many ways at the blood and cellular levels. Echinacea also stimulates the lymphatics which cleanses the body of both bacterial and metabolic debris. Using Echinacea in a winter tonic to offset respiratory illnesses in your poultry, can be combined with other supportive herbs in the tonic such as burdock and nettles to boost the effectiveness of the tonic.

Purple coneflower is an introduced plant to our environment, but it grows largely in the wild in the eastern part of our country. It is a perennial that blooms early to late summer, and can be propagated by seed by planting right on top of the soil. The roots is the part of the plant that is used, specifically roots that are at least 3 years old. Harvest after the third year when roots go dormant in the Fall. Preparations are dried or fresh root tinctured or ground up to use in teas.