As presently as humankind domesticate animate being , they begin care for their ailment and injury with the same medicinal plants they used for themselves . We can do that , too ! While herbs are often used to bring around disease and dress wounds , they ’re best used for preventive health in both animal and humans . beget set out with herbs should n’t be you a mint ; it ’s easygoing to grow your own or start with wild herbs you could assemble in your own backyard .
Wild Herbs
Herbalist Susan Burek ofMoonlight Mile Herbsdevelops recipes and products designed for the avian trunk that are made using lifelike foods and herbs that boo seek out in the natural state . “ Some of the most potent and good herbaceous plant can occupy flop outside in your yard , ” she says . “ Poultry naturally wipe out a fate of these herbs while on reach . I encourage people to check about these aboriginal herbs because they can be a big assistance for wimp keepers as both food and medicine for their flock . ”
barbarian medicinal herb admit dandelion , nettles , clover , milfoil , cleavers , primrose , burdock , plantain tree , purslane , chickweed , mullein , curly dock , smartweed , violets , wood sorrel and goldenrod , to name a few . They ’re packed with vitamin , mineral and other nutrients . Chances are that some of these plants already grow on your belongings . They ’re free for the picking , but be trusted to follow these unproblematic rules if harvesting outside the confines of your farm or yard :
For Starters
A good wild herbaceous plant for beginner is the dandelion ( Taraxicum officinale ) . All parts of this plant are usable . blowball contains high amounts of antioxidant , smoothing iron , potassium , calcium and a host of other minerals , as well as vitamins A , C , K , E and B building complex . It ’s a tremendous alimental pop that makes chickens strong and healthy . Dig its long taproot in the fall or harvest the leaves and flowers during the spring and summer . All office of the dandelion can be chop and feed fresh or dried , or even grind up and add together to your chickens ’ normal solid food .
Another valuable pop herbaceous plant isstinging nettle(Urtica dioica ) . It ’s high in calcium and atomic number 12 , and is a good source of chromium , cobalt , iron , atomic number 15 , K , Zn , copper and sulphur , along with vitamins A , C , D , K and B vitamin coordination compound . Wear gloves , long sleeves and long pants when gathering nettle ; it ’s called burn nettle for a ground . Dry or boil nettle to remove their sting . Do n’t eat them to your heap fresh from the meadow .
Cultivated Herbs
If gathering unwarranted herbs is n’t your matter , residue assured that many of the culinary herb you grease one’s palms at the farmers market or grow in your garden will benefit your chickens , too . produce some near your run for chickens to peck at at through the fencing . Planting aromatic herbs around your running play and henhouse also helps force back bugs and mice . Place sprigs of herbs in your nest boxes , or scatter new leaves or dried herbaceous plant in them . Here are some herbaceous plant to consider .
Dry Time
Herbs are most potent just prior to flowering . harvest home and dryingthem at their maximum potency means you could feast top - caliber herbaceous plant year - round , not just during a narrow fresh - herbs windowpane of opportunity , which is often only a few days . Also , dried herb are gentle to stash away , whereas fresh herbs need to be refrigerate or used right on aside . Even then , fresh herbs are prone to spoilage if your poulet do n’t exhaust them right away .
Chicken keepers usually immix desiccated herbs with their chicken ’ normal food , though most chickens will also eat them if they ’re attend on the side in separate provender cups . Harvest fresh herbaceous plant and hang them upside - down by their stems where your chickens can pick at them all they want . you could also strip them from their stems or chop them loosely and scatter them in nest box , in detritus - bathe area or on the floor of the henhouse . you’re able to even add chopped herbs to their food .
To slowly - dry herbaceous plant , employ afood dehydratoror your oven or air dry them flat or in bunches . Dehydrator dry is fast and easy . Preheat your dehydrator , and target the herb in a single layer on dehydrator tray . It can take anywhere from one to four minute to complete the dry out process . Check periodically and follow the manufacturer ’s instruction booklet for specific details .
To dry out herb in an oven , place their leave on a cooky sheet and pop them in a 180 - degree degree Fahrenheit oven with the oven door left ajar , for about two hour or until the leaves are crisp .
To air ironic herbs two-dimensional , place them on paper towel over newspaper in a well - ventilated country out of the sun , arrange so the leaves or plants do n’t touch on one another . Hang - dry out them is the heart and soul of simplicity : Bind their stems in small bundles , and hang them upside - down in the same sort of well - ventilated , shady area until dry .
To preserve their nutritional value and aesculapian component part , store dry out herb whole or loosely crumbled . Do n’t demolish them into pulverisation prior to store them ; if pulverization is needed in an herbal recipe , powderise the herbs just before mixing . Store herbs in newspaper publisher base , cardboard boxes or glass container — give notice jars work well — but not plastic or metal . Store dry out herb in a nerveless , dry plaza which is out of lineal sun .
Herbs are as useful today as they were 10,000 days ago . They ’re easy to grow or harvest in the wild and loose to groom for utilisation . They ’re a first - choice agency to start keeping your flock holistically . Try herbs . You ’ll be hook !
This article to begin with appeared in the March / April 2017 issue ofChickens .
