Use herbs as part of your hen-keeping routine to keep your birds happy and sweet-smelling. I’m trying to keep my hens in the same way as I keep my garden: as natural as possible. Of course, I’m not so hippy that I’m going to avoid worming them properly, or try to mix my own food (this is a bad idea unless you’re a pro, as proper layers’ feed supplies them with everything they need to be able to produce the wonder that is an egg and live healthy and long lives). But I do like to keep them healthy and happy using as many natural methods as possible. One of the things I’ve been doing from the very start is adding herbs to the coop bedding. I spread lavender in the nesting boxes as it is supposed to calm the hens down, and sage on the floor of the coop as it smells lovely and I have an abundance of these leaves. I also scatter herb leaves including mint (another herb I will never be in short supply of) around the entrance to the run and in the run itself once the grass has worn away as this keeps the area smelling nice. Hens aren’t stinky if you clean them out properly: I tend to pick up their droppings every day and I give the coop a proper clean and disinfect every three weeks. Droppings left around can make the place smelly and encourage flies, which is less fun. Another herbal trick I’ve learned from other hen keepers is mint cubes. These are simply apple mint leaves that I covered with boiling water so they made a tea, then froze in ice cube trays. I then pop three ice cubes into the chickens’ water each day when the weather is hot so that the water stays cool and it has a nice minty flavour. I also add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per gallon of water to the water, as this is supposed to improve their intestinal health. What herbal hen-keeping tricks do you employ? Share this:Share Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Name* Email* Website Comment Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.
