Common culinary herbs have wonderful health benefits for you and your chickens.
Culinary herbs are easy to grow and have amazing health benefits for both you and your chickens.
I grow a wide assortment of herbs to use in cooking and also in conjunction with raising our chickens and ducks to keep them healthy naturally, without the use of antibiotics or medications.
Herbs and edible flowers look pretty and smell nice
They can help keep bugs and rodents out of your coop, aid in poultry overall health and well-being, providing essential vitamins and minerals, and also work to support the respiratory, digestive and circulatory systems.
I put freshherbs in the nesting boxesto calm setting hens, repel insects and rodents and add an aromatic scent to the chicken coop.
I brewherbal teafor our chicks and ducklings to give them a good start in life and also for our laying hens. I put fresh herbs in mybroodersfor the newly hatched little ones also because the essential oils benefit their growth.
All of the culinary herbs, which are pretty much with I stick with, are perfectly safe to use around the chickens, so there's no worry about any being toxic or harmful to them. But be aware that there are some herbs that can be potentially harmful or toxic that you should steer clear of.
(CAUTION: I would add a note of caution when using essential oils because they are extremely concentrated and can actually be harmful if you don't use them correctly. I prefer using fresh or dried herbs.)
Stick with fresh herbs as much as possible, used dried when you don't have fresh, and toss a variety of herbs into your coop and nesting boxes any time you trim your herb plants.
As a general guideline, I pretty much feed fresh herbs in unlimited amounts to my flock, and add dried herbs to their feed in a 1-2% ratio to the feed.
Here is a quick reference of some of the more common herbs and their specific benefits for us and for our chickens.
Alfalfa
Benefits:
High in protein
Contributes to orange egg yolks
Reduces anxiety
Mild antibiotic
Anti-inflammatory
Antioxidant
High in Vitamins, A, C, K and choline.
How to Use: Add to daily feed.
Basil
Benefits:
Antibacterial
Antioxidant
Anti-inflammatory
Aids mucus membrane health
Supports circulatory and respiratory health
Supports orange egg yolks
Repels flies and mosquitoes
Stress reliever
Supports digestion and immune system health
Source of protein, Vitamin K and iron.
How to Use: Offer fresh or dry leaves and mix into daily feed.
Bay Leaves
Benefits:
Antiseptic
Antioxidant
Immune system booster
Insect repellent
How to Use: Add fresh or dried leaves to nesting boxes.
Bee Balm (bergamot/monarda)
Benefits:
Antiseptic
Antibacterial
Aids in respiratory health
Calming
How to Use: Add fresh flowers to nesting areas.
Borage
Benefits:
High in calcium, beta-carotene and niacin
Soothing
Supports cardiovascular health
Antioxidant
Improves mucus membrane health
Helps keep bugs out of the garden
How to Use: Dry and add to nesting areas.
Calendula
See "Marigold"
Cat Mint
Benefits:
Insect repellent
Reduces anxiety
Aids in digestive health
How to Use: Scatter fresh flowers and leaves in nesting boxes.
Catnip
Benefits:
Calming
Reduced anxiety
Insect repellent
How to Use: Add fresh or dried to nesting areas.
Cayenne pepper
Benefits:
Aids circulation and blood flow
Improves metabolism
Appetite stimulant
Antiseptic
Digestive enhancement
Can act as a natural wormer
Can help to increase egg production
How to Use: Add to daily feed, especially during the cold months.
Chamomile
Benefits:
Repels mites, fleas and lice
Antiseptic
Anti-inflammatory
Antibiotic
Calming
Acts as a relaxant
Blood detoxifier
How to Use: Scatter flower heads in nesting and dust bath areas.
Chervil
Benefits:
Heals bruises
Thought to prevent illness
High in vitamins and minerals
Aids in mucus membrane health
Antioxidant
Anti-inflammatory
Overall health tonic
How to Use: Dry and add to daily feed.
Chickweed
Chickweed
Benefits:
Anti-inflammatory
Natural pain reliever
Soothes mucus membranes
Aids in digestive health
Purifies and cleanses blood
High in B vitamins and Omega-6
How to Use: Offer fresh and free-choice.
Chives
Benefits:
Aids digestion
Stimulates appetite
Good source of iron
How to Use: Let chickens nibble on chives as they free range.
Cilantro
Benefits:
Antioxidant
Anti-fungal
Builds strong bones
High in Vitamin A for vision
High in Vitamin K for blood clotting
How to Use: Dry and add to daily feed or feed fresh.
Cinnamon
Benefits:
Promotes healthy breathing
Improves respiratory health
How to Use: Sprinkle over warm oatmeal in the winter or mix into dry feed.
Comfrey
Benefits:
Pain reliever
Anti-inflammatory Helps to heal wounds
Promotes muscle, cartilage, and bone growth
How to Use: Note: err on the side of caution - only to be used topically, not internally.
(Blue) Cornflower
Benefits:
Soothing
Anti-inflammatory
Aids immune system health
Anti-oxidant
Improves skin health
Improves mucus membrane health
Symbol of fertility
Eases anxiety
How to Use: Add fresh or dried flowers to nesting boxes or mix dried flowers into feed.
Benefits:
General health tonic
Diuretic which improves kidney and liver health
Blood detoxifier
Laying stimulant
High in calcium for strong eggshells
Antioxidant
Anti-inflammatory which helps to relieve pain
Aids in digestion
Contributes to orange egg yolks.
How to Use: Offer the leaves and flowers fresh or dried and mixed into feed
Dill
Benefits:
Antioxidant
Antibacterial
Relaxant/calming
Improves respiratory health
Stimulates the appetite
Aids in digestion
Promotes feather growth
Acts as a stress reliever
Can help control diarrhea
How to Use: Dry and mix into daily feed or offer fresh.
Echinacea
Benefits:
Antibacterial
Natural antibiotic
Aids in respiratory health
Strengthens the immune system
How to Use: Hang bouquets in the coop, scatter petals in the nesting area. Offer entire plant to chickens free-choice or in their run - petals, flower head, leaves, stems and roots
Fennel
Benefits:
Laying stimulant
Boosts reproductive health
Insect repellent
Relaxant
How to Use: Feed seeds and/or foliage free choice.
Garlic
Benefits:
Antibacterial
Provides overall health boost
Promotes optimal immune system health
Laying stimulant
Anti-fungal
Fights infection
Benefits circulatory and respiratory systems
Can help to relieve diarrhea
Believed to combat internal parasites
Promotes good bacteria in the gut
How to Use: Add powdered to daily feed or crush a clove or two into the water several times a week.
Ginger
Benefits:
Stress reducer (don't laugh, chickens have stress in their lives too at times!)
Appetite stimulant
Anti-oxidant.
How to Use: Save kitchen trimmings - ends and peels - for the chickens and feed free choice.
Goldenseal
Goldenseal
Benefits:
Antibacterial
Anti-inflammatory
Useful for treating wounds
Helps to relieve eye infections
How to Use: Steep the flowers and leaves, then administer topically to eye or apply to injury.
Hyssop
Benefits:
Improves circulation
Heals wounds
Blood detoxifier
How to Use: Dry and add to daily feed.
Lavender
Benefits:
Antibacterial
Calming stress reliever
Improves blood circulation
Highly aromatic
Insect repellent
Laying stimulant
How to Use: Add fresh or dried buds to nesting and dust bath areas, plant lavender around coop and run area. Hang fresh stems in bouquets in the coop.
Lemon Balm
Benefits:
Stress reliever
Antibacterial
Highly aromatic
Rodent and insect repellent
Calming
How to Use: Use leaves fresh or dried in nesting areas.
Lemon Verbena
Benefits:
Aromatic
Fly repellent
Antiviral properties
How to Use: Plant around coop and run area.
Lemon Grass (citronella)
Benefits:
Fly repellent
Aromatic
How to Use: Plant around coop and run area.
Lovage
Benefits:
Aids respiratory and mucus membrane health
Blood detoxifier
Anti-inflammatory
How to Use: Dry plants and add to daily feed.
Marigold/Calendula
Benefits:
Supports vibrant orange egg yolks, feet and beaks/bills
Insect repellent
Antioxidant
Antibacterial
Laying stimulant Can help control diarrhea
How to Use: Add dried blossoms to daily feed or feed flowers fresh. Plant around coop and run area to help keep bugs away.
Marjoram
Marjoram
Benefits:
Laying stimulant
Anti-inflammatory
Decongestant
Improves blood circulation
Detoxifier
Supports respiratory health
How to Use: Add dried to daily feed or offer fresh free-choice, sprinkle fresh or dried in nesting area.
Mint (all kinds)
Benefits:
Insect and rodent repellent
Antioxidant
Aids in respiratory health
Digestive aid
Lowers stress levels
Aids in feather growth
Can increase egg production and size
Leads to thicker eggshells
How to Use: Add dried to daily feed, scatter fresh or dried into nesting areas. Plant around coop and run area to help repel flies and rodents.
Nasturtium
Benefits:
Laying stimulant
Antiseptic
Anti-fungal
Antibiotic
Helps to repel insects
Thought to act as a natural wormer
Aids in respiratory health
How to Use: Feed leaves, seeds and flowers fresh or dry and add to daily feed to act as a natural wormer.
Oregano
Oregano
Benefits:
Proven through studies to be a natural antibiotic
Antimicrobial
Antibacterial
Antioxidant
Antiviral
Anti-inflammatory
Antiseptic
Detoxifier
Research suggests helps to combat coccidiosis, salmonella, infectious bronchitis, avian flu and e-coli
Strengthens immune system
Aids in respiratory and digestive system health
How to Use: Dry leaves and add to daily feed or offer fresh.
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Parsley
Benefits:
High in vitamins A, B, C, calcium and iron
Aids in bone development
Aids in blood vessel development
Improves circulation
Laying stimulant
Antioxidant
Anti-inflammatory
Aids in digestive health
How to Use: Dry the leaves and add to the daily feed or offer fresh.
Peppermint
Benefits:
Anti-parasitic insect repellent
Antibacterial
Anti-fungal
Antiviral
Digestive aid
Laying stimulant
See Mint.
How to Use: Add dried to daily feed, scatter fresh or dried into nesting areas. Plant around coop and run area to help repel flies and rodents.
Pineapple Sage
Benefits:
Aids nervous system
Calming
Highly aromatic
Antiseptic
How to Use: Scatter fresh flowers and leaves in nesting area.
Benefits:
Antibacterial
Antimicrobial
Anti-inflammatory
Antioxidant
Helps to prevent infection
Thought to be a natural wormer
How to Use: Feed leaves fresh or dried.
Purslane
Benefits:
Antioxidant
Great source of Omega-3s
High in vitamins A, B and C
High in calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium
How to Use: Feed leaves fresh.
Raspberry Leaf
Benefits:
Antioxidant
Relaxant, stress reliever
Supports healthy reproductive system
How to Use: Dry leaves and add to daily feed. (fruit is great to feed also as a chicken snack!)
Rose Petals
Benefits:
Highly aromatic
High in Vitamin C
Antibacterial
Antioxidant
Aids respiratory system health
Mild sedative
How to Use: Offer fresh or scatter petals in nesting area, fresh or dried.
Rosemary
Rosemary
Benefits:
Calming and relaxing
Anti-inflammatory
Pain reliever
Aids in respiratory system health
Works to improve liver health
Insect repellent
Heals wounds
Aids blood circulation
Improves digestive health
How to Use: Add to nesting and dust bath area, plants around coop and run area.
Sage
Benefits:
Antioxidant
Anti-parasitic
Antibacterial
General health promoter
Improves immune system health
Thought to combat Salmonella
Laying stimulant
How to Use: Dry and add to daily feed.
Spearmint
Benefits:
Antiseptic
Insect repellent
Stimulates nerve, brain and blood functions
See Mint.
How to Use: Add dried to daily feed, scatter fresh or dried into nesting areas. Plant around coop and run area to help repel flies and rodents.
Tarragon
Benefits:
Antioxidant
Appetite stimulant
How to Use: Dry leaves and add to daily feed, scatter leaves, fresh or dried, in nesting areas and around coop.
Thyme
Benefits:
Aids in respiratory, digestive and immune system health
Antibacterial
Antioxidant
Anti-parasitic
Laying stimulant
Helps to heal infections
High in calcium, fiber, iron, manganese and riboflavin
High in Omega-3 fatty acids that aid in brain and heart health
Source of Vitamins A, B6, and C
Works as an insect repellent
How to Use: Plant around coop and run area. Addfresh or dried to the nesting and dust bath areas, add to daily feed.
Wild Violet
Wild Violet
Benefits:
Calming
High in Vitamin C
Aids in respiratory health.
How to Use: Hang bouquets of flowers in the coop, scatter in nesting areas, offer free-choice.
Yarrow
Benefits:
Antibacterial
Anti-inflammatory
Clears sinuses and respiratory systems
Stress reliever
How to Use: Hang bouquets of flowers in the coop.
Herbs are easy to grow, generally not picky about the soil they are grown in and many come back year after year. Think about growing an herb garden for your family - and for your chickens. You'll be glad you did!
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This information is partially excerpted from my booksFresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens....Naturally(St. Lynns Press, 2013) and Gardening with Chickens (Voyageur Press, 2016). Buy your copy online or anywhere books are sold.
Additional Sources/references:
