Most birdkeepers believe that plant medicines are less effective than conventional medicines, and that we need to reserve conventional medicines for life-threatening situations. I used to believe this too. But as I have delved deeply, daily and experientially into using herbs and essential oils for birds, I have come to feel that the opposite is true. At this point I would not use conventional medicine for life-threatening situations unless there was no alternative available to me. Having witnessed the power of plant medicine in my own flock, I now feel that plant remedies are not only significantly safer than chemical medicines, but that in most cases, they work more effectively. Plants and birds have evolved in such intimacy that birds respond quickly and efficiently to herbs, and if we choose our plants wisely, we can go much farther than conventional medicine to minimize suffering and discomfort in our avian companions.