4 Herbs for Healthy Chickens | Raising Chickens

Herbs aren’t just for cookin’! They are excellent for health and immunity support. Not to mention, they can make your chicken’s eggs taste amazing! Try feeding your chickens these 4 herbs for sustaining healthier chickens and tastier eggs!

Why Should We Feed Herbs for Healthier Chickens?

It is pretty common to think of herbs as just ingredients for tasty cooking. However, nowadays, it is becoming common knowledge that even our ancestors used herbs for medicinal purposes. There are many people moving to herbal medicine as a more natural and sustainable option. We prefer to grow our own herbs, but organic store-bought herbs are great too. We have also personally seen and experienced that feeding herbs for healthier chickens actually works! Herbs make chickens healthier, their eggs healthier and stronger, and their eggs taste even more amazing!

Herbs have so many health and immunity benefits for chickens. Those benefits range from providing essential vitamins and minerals, to aiding the respiratory system, to protecting against parasites, and more. Of course, chickens still need a healthy balanced diet, not just herbs. In this post, we are not going to get too in depth with every benefit. We just want to make it simple and provide enough information about 5 herbs to help you get started feeding herbs for healthier chickens.

1. Cilantro

If there is one herb our chickens enjoy the most, it’s cilantro! They love it! The only thing they like better than cilantro, is strawberries. Not only is it free for us to feed them because we grow it, but it is so good for them.

Cilantro is rich in Vitamin A aiding in chicken reproduction (making those tasty eggs!) and proper growth down to the cell. Vitamin A is essential for chickens to have healthy skin, vision, digestion, and respiration. Cilantro also contains antioxidants and Vitamin C which encourages proper metabolism of minerals, and a healthy immune system. We, at Living Abundantly, are big believers in eating pro-metabolic to support all of our bodily functions, so why wouldn’t we want our chickens to eat that way too!

Cilantro is also a good source of Vitamin K which helps with blood clotting. It actually helps do away with those blood spots that can sometimes occur in eggs. Although it is perfectly safe to eat those eggs, we all know it’s better for customers, and our own peace of mind, if there are no blood spots at all. Jam-packed with vitamins and nutrients, cilantro is one of our top recommended herbs for healthier chickens.

2. Rosemary

Rosemary is a pretty versatile herb for chickens. The wide range of benefits is pretty cool! First of all, it smells fabulous. It makes me think of Christmas! So, adding it to your coop, nesting boxes, or anywhere your chickens range, will make all of those areas smell great. And, although we may like the smell, guess who doesn’t? Insects and pests. So, rosemary is a natural, good-smelling insect repellent for chickens. Repelling insects means less bites, less viruses and infections, and more health!

Because of the smell, rosemary also aids in a healthy respiratory system. Respiratory issues can show up in any flock and any coop. These issues can come from viruses and bacteria, and although we all should strive for cleanliness, it can still happen. So, adding rosemary where your chickens range will help their respiratory systems stay healthy.

Did you know that rosemary is also a natural pain reliever? Rosemary can be fed fresh, turned into a pain relieving salve, or applied straight to a would. So, if you know your chicken is in some kind of pain, rosemary is a safe and natural solution. Rosemary is definitely useful in herbal medicine for people, but is also one of the top herbs for healthier chickens.

3. Peppermint

This is another herb that I love to use for my chickens because it smells great and has health benefits. Chickens naturally dig and forage eating many things. Because of that, they can suffer from digestive issues like bloating and indigestion, and peppermint naturally relaxes the stomach and gut. So, peppermint is a natural pain reliever for stomach issues. It is especially beneficial to give them peppermint proactively if you know they got a hold of something they shouldn’t have, or if they regularly do.

Very similar to rosemary, peppermint helps chicken breathe aiding in respiratory issues. Peppermint also has anti-bacterial benefits, and treats inflammation. It even helps with healthy blood circulation, immunity, and stress! The menthol in peppermint also signals the brain to create a cooling sensation. This is especially useful in hot summers, and peppermint can even be added to ice water to keep chickens cool!

Mints are also another natural way to repel insects. Using mints in the coop, nesting boxes, and wherever your chickens range will help prevent fleas and mites, and other insect bites that can cause viruses. This is all why peppermint is another one of our top recommended herbs for healthier chickens.

4. Basil

Basil aids in a healthy respiratory system, eases inflammation, helps blood circulation, and has anti-bacterial benefits. It has benefits that are similar to some of the other herbs that we’ve already mentioned. So, why add this herb too? Well, this herb also helps maintain a healthy mucus membrane, and is known for being anti-cancer, anti-anxiety, anti-viral, AND anti-fungal. Wow! Sign me up too! Isn’t that amazing?!

Basil is super nutrient dense providing protein, Vitamins A, C, K, calcium, and iron. I already mentioned some of the benefits of these vitamins above under Cilantro. Another interesting fact is that basil helps chickens produce healthier, brighter egg yolks. Of course, this benefit is best seen when basil is fed regularly. But, after reading all those health benefits, who wouldn’t want to feed basil to their chickens regularly!? Basil is absolutely one of our top recommended herbs for healthier chickens.

Herbs for Healthier Chickens Conclusion

Herbs are not just beneficial for people, but they are super beneficial for chickens. Using herbs in our cooking is healthy and tasty. And using herbs to feed our chickens to keep them healthy is also sustainable! Not only will your chickens live healthier, more abundant lives by preventing and treating many issues, but herbs will also greatly improve the taste and color of their eggs. Our friends, family, and customers can taste the difference! You have to try it to believe it!

Another side note is that if you raise hens to sell their chicks or hatching eggs, those eggshells and chicks will greatly benefit from the herbs fed to the hens. That means healthy and happy hens, chicks, eggs, and customers! Try feeding your chickens these 4 herbs for healthier chickens and tastier eggs!

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