Most herbs have many health benefits for both humans and animals. When it comes to oregano, can chickens eat them?
So, can chickens eat oregano? Yes, chickens can eat oregano. This herb is rich in nutrients that can benefit the chicken from the inside and outside. It’s a good source of antioxidants that helps prevent illness and can be used as a natural antibiotic.
Is Oregano Safe For Your Chickens?
Oregano doesn’t contain any toxins, so it is safe for chickens to eat.
The herb can be given to them in different forms. You can give them fresh, dried, or essential oil.
Again, like any other food, moderation is the key to preventing any health issues for your chickens.
Is It Healthy For Chickens To Eat Oregano?
Oregano contains many nutrients that are essential for chickens. Therefore, it’s healthy for the chickens to eat.
Below are some reasons why you should feed oregano to your chickens:
Rich In Antioxidants
Oregano is rich in antioxidants, which are compounds that help fight and prevent cell damages.
The cells are usually damaged by free radicals in the body. If there are too many free radicals, it could lead to illness and diseases.
Help Reduce Viral Infection
Oregano contains two compounds, which is carvacrol and thymol. These compounds are known to have antiviral properties.
This will help reduce viral infection that causes diarrhea and stomach pain in chickens.
Could Decrease Inflammation
When a chicken suffers from an injury or illness, inflammation is the normal response that will occur.
Oregano contains compounds like carvacrol that is an anti-inflammation property that, which can help reduce inflammation.
Can Baby Chickens Eat Oregano?
Baby chickens can eat oregano, but it’s best to wait until they are around 3 weeks old first. This will give their digestive system enough time to develop to properly digest oregano.
Instead, chicks should be fed mostly a diet of quality starter feed. The feed has been formulated with the right amount of nutrition to help the chicks grow strong and healthy.
Once the baby chickens have reached the age of 3 weeks, you can start to introduce oregano to them. Give them a couple of oregano that’s cut into small pieces. Then toss them to the chicks for them to eat. At first, they may be hesitant to eat it since it’s something new to them. After a while, they’ll get curious and will peck and eat it.
Be sure to only feed oregano to baby chickens in moderation. The herb should only be given to them as a treat.
Can Chickens Eat Oregano Stem?
Chickens can eat oregano stems. However, you’ll need to cut them into smaller pieces or crush them first. The stem is woody and poses a choking hazard for the chickens.
The stem offers some nutrients as well, so some chicken owners will add them to the chicken feeds.
How Do You Feed Oregano To Your Chickens
When it comes to oregano, there are few ways in which you can feed them. Below are the different options you have:
Oregano Oil For Chickens
Giving them oregano oil is one of the easiest ways to provide health benefits to your chickens. Oregano oil has the highest concentration of carvacrol.
Be sure to not give them too much of it. Oregano essential oil is more potent than serving your chickens fresh or dried oregano.
You can put the essential oil in their water or over their feed. For a gallon of water, put about one drop of oregano oil. Avoid putting more than that or the taste of the water will be altered. This will cause the chickens not to drink the water anymore.
For chicken feeds, place a drop of oregano oil into a 1-liter bottle of water. This will dilute the essential oil. Then spritz lightly over the chicken feed.
Fresh Oregano For Chickens
Another method is to feed fresh oregano to your chickens. Make sure the oregano is fresh and doesn’t have any dark spots on them. You can either toss the herb directly to them or mix it in with other foods. It’s a great way to give your chicken a boost in nutrition.
If you have oregano growing in the garden, an option you have is to let the chickens into the garden. The chickens will peck and eat the leaves of the herb and may eat the stems as well.
Before you let them into the garden, make sure to block off the area that you don’t want them to go into. Chickens are opportunistic eaters and will eat everything that’s edible in the garden.
Also, if you’ve used pesticides on the herb, spray water onto the oregano to remove the chemicals. Pesticides contain toxins that are harmful to the chickens.
Dried Oregano For Chickens
A great way to feed oregano to your chickens at any time of the year is to give them dried oregano. Simply sprinkle some onto the chicken feeds or any other food you’re feeding them. It’s a great way to give your chicken some extra nutrition, especially for its antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties.
How Much Oregano Should You Feed Chickens?
Oregano should be fed to the chickens in small amounts at each feeding. The herb doesn’t have all the nutrition that the chicken needs to stay healthy and strong.
Oregano should only be a supplement to their main diet of chicken feeds.
Therefore, at each feeding, you can serve oregano, whether it’s fresh or dried, to the chickens in small amounts.
How Often Should You Feed Oregano To Chickens?
Oregano is a herb packed with plenty of nutrition that’s beneficial for the chickens. Since it doesn’t have any toxins, you can feed the herb to your chickens every day.
Again, this herb should not be something that replaces their staple food. Oregano should only make up 10% of their entire diet. The rest should come from a quality commercial feed. The feeds are formulated with the right amount of nutrition to keep the chicken healthy and strong.
While you can feed oregano to your chickens every day, the herb should only be given to them once a day.
Other Herbs That Chickens Can Eat
Basil
Basil is not only a great herb to use in the kitchen, but it can be fed to the chickens as well. This herb promotes good respiratory health and has antibacterial properties to keep pests away.
Cilantro
Cilantro is a herb that’s easy to grow and can be grown all year long. This makes them a perfect treat to give your chickens. Cilantro is packed with nutrition that the chicken can benefit a lot from.
Parsley
Parsley is a nutrient-dense herb that’s popular in the kitchen. The herb makes a great treat for chickens. Parsley is known to be a laying stimulant that will help produce quality eggs, so be sure to give plenty to your laying hens.
Related Question
Can oregano be used in the nesting boxes?
Not only is oregano good for chickens, but the herb can be used in their nesting boxes as well.
Place fresh oregano in and around their nesting box. The hens will enjoy the scent of the herb. It will give them a boost and stimulate egg laying.
Also, the herb will help deter pathogens in the nest.
