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Whether you’re new to flock tending or you’ve been raising chickens for years, you may be surprised that just as they can improve our health, the right herbs can also improve the health of our feathered friends. Incorporating herbs into your flock's diet is a powerful tool that can prevent illness, boost immunity, encourage laying, repel insects, and calm stressed or upset hens.
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How to Manage Your Flock’s Diet
Before we start, it’s important to remember that ensuring your chickens get the nutrition and variety they need is vital to chicken health. After all, most of the calories a chicken consumes daily are converted directly into the nutrients and components that make up their eggs.
A balanced feed should contain carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and 16% to 18% protein to support egg laying and feather management. To ensure you're on the right track, remember the 90/10 method of feeding. This guideline suggests that 90% of your flock's diet should be made up of quality feed, and the remaining 10% can be made up of treats, scratch grains, herbs, and additives.
What Herbs Can Chickens Eat?
Below, we’ll cover which herbs are best for chicken health, how to use them, as well as what herbs to avoid.
Basil
Circulatory & Respiratory Health
Basil is high in vitamins and antioxidants, which can benefit a chicken's circulatory and respiratory systems. It also contains xanthophyll, a plant pigment that helps keep those egg yolks a lovely bright orange.
Calendula
Anti-bacterial & Antioxidant
Calendula is best known for its healing properties. It can act as a minor first-aid ointment when made into a salve. When added to your chicken’s feed, its yellow petals will naturally enhance the vibrancy of yoke colors. It’s also great as a natural insect repellent.
Cayenne
Digestion, Circulatory, & Immune Support
Don’t worry—chickens won’t taste the spiciness of cayenne, but they will benefit from its addition to their feed. It can help aid digestion, boost immune system health, and increase iron absorption. Cayenne is also a good source of Vitamins A, B, and C, plus potassium and magnesium. As an added benefit, if you have problems with mice. Cayenne will help to deter furry pests from eating your chicken feed.
Cilantro
Immune Support & Bone Health
Cilantro is a good source of antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and K. This herb is best given to your flock fresh to strengthen the immune system and help aid bone support. The seeds, also known as coriander, have anti-parasitic properties.
Lavender
Stress Reduction & Insect Repellent
Lavender is an excellent herb to place fresh in the nesting boxes to calm hens during laying and help keep pests at bay. You can also add it to the dust bath for a fresh scent. When added to their feed, lavender can have anti-inflammatory benefits and boost B12 vitamin levels.
Marigold
Insect Repellent & Immune Support
Just as they repel pests in the garden, marigolds have also been known to repel pests in the coop. They are a great immune booster and powerful antioxidant when added to the feed. You can place fresh marigolds in nesting boxes to ward off pests or tie them in bunches around the coop.
Mint
Stress Reduction & Insect Repellent
Mint works in much the same way as lavender for calming nervous hens and repelling pests from the coop and nesting boxes. When used as a supplement in feed, mint is packed with vitamins A, B complex, and C, as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, and potassium.
Oregano
Antibacterial & Immune Support
For chickens, oregano is a natural antibiotic that strengthens the immune system. Studies have shown that oregano may be more potent than traditional antibiotics at guarding your flock against common poultry illnesses. Including, coccidiosis, avian flu, salmonella, and more. Oregano can be given fresh or dry and mixed into their daily feed.
Parsley
Circulatory System Support
Most people are used to parsley as a garnish or mild seasoning, but when added to your flock’s diet, it is high in vitamins and nutrients that aid in blood vessel development and support the circulatory system. Parley can be given fresh or dried and added to their feed.
Rosemary
Respiratory Health & Immune Support
Rosemary has many benefits for your flock. It's an excellent deodorizer, pain reliever, and respiratory health support. Plant rosemary around the chicken coop for insect repellent or add it dried to their feed.
Sage
Respiratory Health & Immune Support
Similar to oregano, sage is an excellent herb for overall chicken health. It acts as an antibiotic and antioxidant. Sage is proven to lower the pathogen load in your chickens, and studies have shown that it can decrease the salmonella in your hen's system. Add dried sage to your chicken's daily feed or give it to them fresh as a treat.
Thyme
Respiratory Health, Antibiotic, & Antibacterial
Thyme is another flock favorite because it aids respiratory health and has antibiotic and antibacterial properties. You can give fresh thyme to your flock as a treat or add the dried herb to their feed.
Herbs to Avoid Giving Your Chickens
Now that we have covered the herbs that are beneficial to your chicken's health, it’s important to cover those that may be harmful or toxic to your flock.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, but it can also cause abdominal pain and diarrhea, so be cautious and use sparingly for your flock.
Amaranth, raw
While cooked Amaranth is acceptable and actually recommended, raw amaranth contains growth-depressing antinutrients.
Comfrey
While some chicken owners feed comfrey to their flock because it is low in fiber and high in protein, in large amounts, it can cause diarrhea or liver failure, so be cautious of the amount you feed.
Pennyroyal
Although pennyroyal is a member of the mint family, it is toxic to chickens and should be avoided. Consumption of this herb can result in liver failure and eventual death.
Cheers to Chicken Health!
Now that you can see how beneficial herbs can be to your flock, I hope you’ll consider adding some of the options listed above to your chicken’s diet. Remember that if you’re unsure whether or not an herb is safe for your birds, do your research and be on the safe side. If there is an herb your flock loves that we didn’t mention, let us know in the comments! If you want to know more about what herbs are safe for your furry friends, keep an eye out next month when my article “ Enhance Your Pet’s Health With Herbs” gets published in the Fall 2024 edition of Botanical Anthology! Until next time,
Disclaimer:
Content from thisunboundlife.com is meant to be informational and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Just because something is “natural” does not always mean it is safe for everyone. When it comes to herbal medicine, many plants should be avoided when pregnant or nursing, and some can cause extreme interactions with prescription and over-the-counter medicine.
While we strive to be 100% accurate, utilizing information from scientific studies, trusted sources, and verified publications, we are not health professionals, medical doctors, or nutritionists. It is solely the reader's responsibility to verify information with qualified professionals and to ensure proper plant identification.
The information provided by this site is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Before using herbal preparations, always research, speak to a professional regarding any significant concerns, and never fail to seek medical advice when needed.