Chickens can eat herbs, flowers, and weeds along with insects and worms. They dig into the ground for foods ,. If allowed access, chickens will eat greens and bugs every day, all day. It makes us happy to see them happily pecking in the yard. But have you ever thought about what plants they are actually eating?
Have you thought that some of these plants might be toxic? Or perhaps some of them have more benefits than you may think. In this article, we will be discussing what weeds, herbs, and flowers is good for your flock, which ones you should avoid, and which ones have special and healthy benefits for you flock
Weeds
Weeds can be very healthy and nutritious for our flock. Especially weeds like dandelions, chickweed, and clover. Dandelions are a good source of calcium, vitamins A, B, C, E, and K and contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Chickweed acts as a natural pain reliever and aids in digestive health. Chickweed is also high in vitamin B. Clover is a highly nutritious perennial high in calcium, niacin, potassium, vitamins A and B, iron, and protein. Aiding in respiratory and circulatory health, it is a very healthy plant for chickens to eat.
Other weeds that are good for chickens include: •
Beautyberry
•Bitter Cress
•Burweed
•Catchweed Bedstraw
•Catsear •Evening Primrose
•Fat Hen
•Hawkweed
•Mugwort
•Oxalis
•Plantain
•Purslane
•Shiny Cudweed
•Smartweed •
it nice to think that now you don’t have to throw out those weeds but instead you can feed them to your flock? Also, if you let your chickens free-range, they will do some of your weed-picking for you. (Of course, they won’t pull the root out from the ground though.) If you keep a compost pile, consider throwing your weeds in and then allowing your flock to forage in there.
And then of course there are weeds you shouldn’t feed your flock.
These weeds include:
•Buttercup
•St. John's Wort Herbs
Herbs can be extremely good and healthy for chickens too. Lavender, bee balm, yarrow, oregano, parsley, and mint are all examples of beneficial herbs. Lavender is calming, soothing and aromatic. Bee balm is also calming and aids in a chicken’s digestive tract. Yarrow acts as a stress and pain reliever and boosts the respiratory system. Oregano is thought to combat diseases such as coccidiosis, salmonella, infectious bronchitis, and E. coli. Parsley is one of my favorites. It is very high in vitamins, aids in the digestive system, and acts as a laying stimulant. Mint helps prevent flies in the chicken living quarters and is highly aromatic.
Herbs
The list of herbs for chickens is long.
Here are the best I could come up with besides the ones already listed:
•Basil
•Bay Leaves
•Catnip
•Cayenne Pepper
•Chamomile
•Cilantro
•Cinnamon
•Comfrey
•Dill •Fennel
•Feverfew
•Garlic
•Ginger
•Gotu Kola
•Lemon Balm
•Nettles
•Peppermint
•Pineapple Sage
•Rosemary
•Sage
•Spearmint
•Tarragon
•Thyme
•Wormwood
I just love using herbs in my flock! I notice an improvement in their health and even their eggs. Herbs are a “must-have” for flock owners who want to keep their naturally healthy flock.
But there are some dangerous herbs that can poison your flock. Steer clear of these following:
•Castor Bean
•Honeysuckle
•Vetch
Flowers
Chickens love to eat not only greens but also flowers. They love to slurp petals in their mouths like we do spaghetti noodles! There are many flowers that hold health benefits for chickens. Roses, marigolds, and nasturtium are some examples. Rose petals are aromatic, calming, and high in vitamin C. Marigolds are possibly my favorite flower to use in my flock. They are highly aromatic; add color to egg yolks and soothing to irritated skin. Nasturtium acts as a laying stimulant and light antibiotic. All three of these flowers are best used in hen nesting boxes.
These are flowers to feed chickens include: •Calendula
•Echinacea
•Geraniums
•Hibiscus
•Hollyhock
•Impatiens
•Lilac
•Pansy
•Pea Blossoms
•Peony
•Phlox
•Squash Blossom
•Sunflower
And there are those flowers that should be avoided:
•Azalea
•Clematis
•Corn Cockle
•Foxglove
•Henbane
•Iris
•Lily of the Valley
•Sweet Pea
•Rhododendron
Well, there you have it! Chickens generally know what plants they can and can’t eat but we still need to be aware of what they are eating. I hope you have got clearer understanding of the weeds, herbs, and flowers that are best used for chicken health and growth.
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