There are so many great medicinal herbs out there, and humans don’t have to be the only ones who benefit. Your hens can greatly benefit from herbs as well!
One of the big reasons commercial eggs are so unappealing these days is that the chickens that produce them are usually pumped full of antibiotics, as they typically live in close quarters, to protect them from illness and disease. This of course means there are antibiotics in the eggs, and it’s far from healthy to consume antibiotics you don’t actually need. It messes with your immune system and gut flora, which is something you definitely don’t want to do.
So, if you’re raising your own chickens, especially if they’re free-range and get to eat lots of healthy, natural foods like grass, bugs, and organic feed, they already have a much better chance against disease! But of course, even free range hens can get sick, and preventative measures are still prudent to take. Feeding your hens powerful, but safe antibiotic herbs is a great alternative to common poultry antibiotics, and won’t effect their eggs, which means it’s safer for you too!
Here are some wonderful herbs that are great for hens:
Oregano:
Oregano can be fed to your hens in bunches, and they’ll love it fresh! It is a great natural antibiotic, for hens and humans, and you can also incorporate into their feed, or into their bedding to ward off pathogens.
Lavender:
Lavender can be incorporated into your hens’ bedding to keep them clean and smelling fresh. Lavender has wonderful antibacterial properties, so it’s great for hens to eat, as well as keep their nests fresh. It also has calming properties, which can help them relax and potentially produce more eggs.
Sage:
Hens will love to eat fresh sage as well, and it will also help ward off pathogens. Some research has been shown sage in particular can reduce salmonella in chickens’ guts.
Comfrey
Comefrey is a homestead wonder plant in so many ways, but one of them is as a powerful first aid salve, which you can use on chickens as well. Since chickens can have skin issues on their feet or gloves, it can help a lot with things like this.
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