Best Herbs For Chickens

Did you know that feeding herbs to your chickens can help them stay healthy and lay better eggs? Here are some of the best herbs for your chickens.

As you may know I like to raise my hens as naturally as possible. I have been able to keep my hens healthy without using medications.

One way that I keep my chickens healthy is by offering them fresh and dried herbs. These herbs help their overall health, while some target specific areas.

Feeding your chickens the following herbs doesn’t need to be an exact science. I offering them each of the herbs when I have extra or when they are in season.

You will notice that all the below herbs are often used in the kitchen. I like to use herbs that I know are safe. If you want to use medicinal herbs that are not used in the kitchen please make sure to be careful.

Best Herbs For Chickens

Here are some of the best herbs you can feed your chickens. You may find that you already grow some of these herbs!

Oregano

Oregano is one of the easiest herbs you can grow! It grows so fast that you better grow it in a pot or else it will take over your yard and garden.

Why is oregano good for chickens

• Immune System: Oregano wards off colds and the flu in chickens. The compounds in oregano are known to be both antiseptic and antibacterial.
• Less Aroma: Did you know that oregano is added to some chicken feeds to lower the smell of chicken manure! The compounds found in oregano can help lower the odor of your chicken’s poo.
• Essential Vitamins: Oregano contains vitamins E and K along with calcium. Because of these essential nutrients oregano is believed to aid your chickens in egg laying.

You can grow oregano in pots and offer your hens fresh leaves. If you live in zone 4 or warmer your oregano can make it through the winter.

Basil

Every year I make sure to plants lots of basil because it is one of my favorite herbs to eat and grow! Your hens will also like having some fresh basil in their diet.

Why is basil good for chickens

• Immune System: Basil supports a healthy immune system and respiratory tract in chickens.
• Digestion: Basil is great at helping your chicken’s digestion.
• Essential Nutrients: Basil contains vitamin K, protein, and iron all of which support a healthy body.
• Antioxidant: The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of basil can help your chicken’s circulatory and respiratory system.

Calendula

One of the showiest herbs in the garden is calendula. There are many varieties of calendula but the orange flowers varieties are the most common. This herb’s flowers also contain healthy compounds for your chickens.

Why is calendula good for chickens

• Skin Health: Calendula is most known for its benefits for the skin. Calendula can help cuts and bruises heal faster and promotes healthier skin. You can make this calendula salve for your chickens. This salve can also help heal frostbite on chickens.
• Pigments: The pigments in the petals of the calendula flower can make your chicken yolks a darker orange color. So when you feed your chickens calendula the added benefits can be passed down to you!
• Soothing: Overall calendula flowers are known for their soothing and regenerative effect on the skin, mouth, and gut.

Mint

Mint is so easy to grow that you should not plant it directly in the soil unless you want a lawn full of mint! All mint plants spread easily and far. My favorite mint to grow is peppermint however all mint varieties contain health benefits.

Why is mint good for chickens

• Respiratory System: Peppermint can help open your chicken’s airways and expel excess mucus.
• Insect Repellent: Insects don’t enjoy the smell of mint so you can add this to your chicken coop and dust bath to repel insects.
• Cooling Effect: Mint is especially good for your chickens when the weather is warm. Mint has a cooling effect on the body which can help them cope with high heat.

Lavender

Those spikes of purple flowers smell amazing in the summer. Even though you could just grow lavender as an ornamental plant it does have health benefits!

Why is lavender good for chickens

• Calming: Most notably the smell of lavender can calm your chickens. I like to put fresh lavender in the nest boxes for my hens.
• Smell: One major benefit of lavender is that it can make your coop smell amazing! You could even use it in this DIY coop spray to make your coop smell great.

Thyme

I live in zone 5 which is the coldest zone that thyme can survive in. Thyme is super easy to grow and sense it is a perennial you only have to plant it once.

Why is thyme good for chickens

• Antibiotic: Thyme helps ward off illness because it is a natural antibiotic and antibacterial.
• Digestion: Thyme has been found to improve the intestinal health in chickens.

Sage

Sage has beautiful silver/green leaves and has purple flower stalks. This perennial plant is also great for your chickens.

Why is sage good for chickens

• Bone Resorption: Chickens that don’t eat enough calcium will reabsorb their bones. They do this to create strong eggshells. While you should give your chickens oyster shells as a calcium supplement sage can also protect chickens from bone resorption.
• Antibacterial and Antifungal: Like most herbs sage also has antibacterial and antifungal properties to support immune health.

Dandelion

Wait “weeds” are good for my chickens? Absolutely, common weeds like plantain, chickweed, and dandelion offer benefits to your flock. You can either pick these weeds or let your chickens free range to find them.

Why is dandelion good for chickens

• Fiber: Dandelion is a relative of common lettuce and has a lot of beneficial fiber.
• Minerals: Dandelion has deep taproots that pull nutrients into the plant. Dandelion contains iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and calcium.
• Vitamins: Dandelion contains vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. That’s a lot of vitamins for just one plant!

Chamomile

Chamomile flowers look like tiny daisies and their smell is amazing. This is another herb that you should be feeding your chickens.

Why is chamomile good for chickens

• Calcium: Chamomile does contain calcium which is great for laying hens.
• Mild Sedative: Most people know about chamomile because of its sedative qualities. Chamomile can help chickens get in a regular sleep cycle although they don’t seem to have trouble with that.

Nasturtium

Nasturtiums are a great companion plant in the garden and both the plant’s flowers and leaves are edible. If you have a garden then I recommend you plant nasturtiums in it. This plant can also be fed to chickens.

Why are nasturtiums good for chickens

• Vitamins: Nasturtiums contains vitamins A, C, and E.
• Minerals: Nasturtiums contain essential minerals such as iron, magnesium, and calcium.
• Antioxidants: Antioxidants help protect the body from free radical damage.

Garlic

A staple in most kitchens, garlic also has many medicinal qualities and is classified as a medicinal herb. You can learn how to grow your own garlic here.

Why is garlic good for chickens

• Natural Wormer: It is believed that garlic is a natural wormer for chickens
• Reduces Chicken Manure Smell: Just like oregano the compounds found in garlic can help your chicken manure stink less.
• Boosts Immune System: Garlic can also prevent coccidiosis in young and old chickens. This is just one thing I give my chicks to boost their immune system.

How To Offer Herbs To Your Chickens

You may be thinking great I know these herbs are great, but how do I offer them to my hens? Here are a few ways you can incorporate herbs into your chicken keeping routine.

Before I tell you how I feed herbs to my hens I want you to know that growing your own herbs is the best thing you can do because fresh herbs contain the most health benefits. If you don’t grow your own herbs you can still offer dried herbs to your hens.

Add herbs to their nest box

A great way to offer herbs to your hens is by sprinkling them in the nest boxes. When the hens go to lay an egg they can peck on the herbs.

You can throw flowers, leaves, and dried herbs into the nest box. I would avoid adding garlic to the nest box because of the aroma, but all the other herbs are fine.

An added benefit is that your nest box and coop will smell better with the fresh herbs.

Add herbs to their feed

You can add dried or fresh herbs along with your daily chicken feed. You can simply throw it into the feed or mix it together.

I don’t measure out the herbs I give to my hens I simply offer it to them, and let them eat it if they want to.

Add herbs to their water

I add garlic cloves along with ACV to my chicken’s water. If you are having warm weather add mint to their water to help them cope with the hot weather.

Apple cider vinegar is great for your hens and I add it often to their water. You can also add herbs to their water.

Are herbs really this good for chickens

There are those who say that the claims of herbs are way beyond their bounds, and to their point their is not a lot of research done about herbs and chickens.

I will tell you that in all my years of chicken keeping I have never dealt with a sick hen. I have never had a case of coccidiosis, avian influenza, or worms.

My chickens have never needed poultry medications or worming medications. The only issues I have had with my hens is one case of bumble foot.

So my flock is evidence that herbs don’t harm chickens and they may benefit them. Either way offering herbs to your hens is a great idea.

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