Five Herbs for Organic Chickens

My chickens are spoiled. Between harvesting buckets of greens for them daily, the copious amounts of scraps (all organic and high quality scraps at that) they get, and the herbs I pick for them, they have a pretty luxurious life! Below are my five favorite herbs and how/why I use them with my chickens!

1- Comfrey

If you’ve been following my social media page, you will see that comfrey is one of my most posted about herbs. While It is not recommended for humans to eat, chickens can consume smaller doses. It’s actually a great protein source for them - it is high in protein and actually lower in fiber, which is something they have trouble digesting. Because comfrey is such a healing herb, it is coined to be used topically and not internally. There are several studies that show extremely high doses can cause tumors in rats, because it encourages new cell growth. Mind you, they used comfrey at large doses for long periods of time. I do not feed them comfrey daily, or even weekly for that matter (although I’m sure weekly would be fine), but it’s a treat that they love and can be healing in small doses! Comfrey on the ground of the chicken coop will also encourage the composting of manure!

2- Thyme

Thyme can be fed to chickens or placed in their nesting box. This herb has anti-microbial and antibacterial properties, so being consumed is a huge help for the chickens, keeping illnesses at bay! Also, thymol, which is one of the main constituents in thyme has a ton of anti-inflammatory properties that are beneficial for keeping any inflammation down!

3- Lavender

I love using lavender in my nesting boxes! Not only does it smell good, but it helps ward off pests that love to bother our chickens. Also, the lavender is a calming herb that encourages a calmer environment when they’re laying!

4- Oregano

As I’ve mentioned in my herbal highlight posts on social media, oregano has antiviral and antibacterial properties. I love creating oregano bundles and hanging them for the chickens to enjoy. I’ve also mixed large quantities of oregano into their feed!

5- Pineapple Sage

I‘m unsure who likes this herb more - the chickens, or me! Not only does this smell fantastic hanging in the chicken coop - but the chickens DEVOUR it. This plant is an anti-oxidant, which means that generally speaking, it will increase their health.

There are so many herbs that can be used with chickens! As they say, variety is the spice of life - even to a chicken. So, spoil your flock with herb bundles or nesting box herbs. You won’t regret it!