Herbs for baby chicks help promote strong immune systems and provide the necessary nutrition chicks need to grow up healthy and robust. While many herbs are beneficial for chickens, these eight featured plants are some of the best herbs for baby chicks.
Why Feed Herbs?
There are several benefits to introducing herbs to baby chicks. Chicks that are fed herbs early on in life are more likely to eat them throughout their entire life than chickens who were introduced to herbs as adults. These herbs will benefit your flock throughout their lives, and, in some cases, can help slow down certain diseases, including cancer and arthritis.
1. Fennel
Even though it’s not as commonly known as oregano, fennel is one of my go-tos when choosing herbs for baby chicks. Whether you are raising layers, meat birds, or family pets, fennel works to help promote a healthy digestive tract, prevent against heat stroke, and reduce E. coli levels in chickens.
Studies suggest that fennel seed is also anticoccidial (a common condition in young chickens caused by coccidosis).
Fennel Feeding Directions:
Due to their larger size, fennel seeds are hard for baby chicks to ingest. Never feed fennel seed free choice to baby chicks or other young poultry.
Instead, place one teaspoon dried fennel seeds in a cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes. Cool to room temperature before diluting into a gallon of water. Refresh tea water every twelve hours.
2. Oregano
When it comes to herbs for baby chicks, oregano can’t be beat. Take a look, and you’ll see for yourself why oregano is the number one herb backyard poultry owners and factory farms reach for.
This powerful immune enhancer is antiviral and believed to guard against avian influenza. Oregano also works to guard against coccidosis, aflatoxins (such as Aspergillus), and mycotoxins and is also a natural antibiotic.
Researchers have also seen lower numbers of deaths in broilers caused by Ascites syndrome when fed oregano versus those raised without this powerful herb.
Feed oregano to baby chicks fresh, dried, or steeped in tea. When feeding fresh or dried herbs to baby chicks, be sure to offer free-choice chick grit to prevent digestive problems.
3. Yarrow
Many people consider yarrow to be a weed or a flowering plant versus an herb, but whatever you want to consider it as, yarrow is one of the best herbs for baby chicks.
Yarrow helps to promote a healthy reproductive system in the brooder, working to clear the sinuses and airways. You may even notice baby chicks sneezing after consuming yarrow as it works to clear up their nasal passages.
Chicks seem to enjoy the taste of both the flowers and the leaves of yarrow and will happily peck at them, free choice.
4. Cilantro
Chicks grow quickly, so it’s important to provide them with the proper nutrition to prevent health problems later in life. If you’re looking for growth-promoting herbs for baby chicks, cilantro is the best option.
Cilantro helps promote bone growth and chick growth and is high in vitamin A to promote strong vision.
Offer cilantro free choice for chicks to peck at. Unlike some humans, most chickens do not mind the taste of cilantro.
5. Dill
There is nothing like the smell of fresh dill harvested from the garden, so it’s no wonder that when selecting herbs for baby chicks that they would enjoy it as much as we do. But this delightful aromatic plant doesn’t just smell and taste good; it also has benefits for raising healthy chicks.
Dill works to improve the digestive tract and prevent gastrointestinal (also known as GI) upsets in chickens. This is good news for chicken owners, as seventy percent of a chicken’s immune system is located in the GI tract. So, when you feed dill to chicks and adult chickens, you aren’t just supporting their digestive tract, but also their immune system.
Promoting a healthy immune system in baby chicks will not only help prevent them from succumbing to disease early in life, but it will also help keep them healthier as they age.
Feed dill free choice or steeped in a tea.
6. Tarragon
Tarragon is full of antioxidants and is one of my chicks’ favorite herbs. These antioxidants help to destroy free radicals that could otherwise cause damage to the body, such as cancer.
Cancer is very prevalent in chicken flocks, especially layers, so providing antioxidants to chicks at an early age and throughout their entire lives is one of the best things you can do to keep your future egg layers cancer-free.
Tarragon can be fed free choice.
7. Comfrey
Another herb for chicks that promotes bone growth, comfrey is high in protein and vitamin B12 and also helps to develop healthy muscle and cartilage growth in chicks.
Use caution while feeding comfrey, as it is a very strong herb and should only be offered several times a week in small amounts. Feed comfrey free choice. Do not steep into a tea.
8. Parsley
A popular herb for chickens, it only makes sense that this vitamin-rich herb is also one of the best herbs for baby chicks.
Parsley aids in blood vessel development and is one of the most nutritious herbs you can feed your growing chicks. High in vitamins A, B, and C, this herb helps to promote a healthy immune system.
Parsley is also high in important minerals, including calcium and iron.
Feed parsley free choice or steep it into a nutrient-rich tea.
Herbs for baby chicks are one of the best ways to boost your future flock’s immune systems and produce healthy eggs and meat without breaking the budget. While all these herbs may not be available to you, including even one or two will help keep your chicks healthier for years to come.
This article about herbs for baby chicks was written for Hobby Farms and Chickens magazines. Click here to subscribe.
