Herb Gardening for Chickens?

Spring is definitely here. Last weekend we were finally able to start working on our chicken fence. We have decided to contain the chickens into a smaller part of the yard (which will also be covered) since a giant hawk was found in our pine tree eyeing the girls.

I was also finally able to plant some flowers and a new shrub in the front of my house. This gave me time to think more about how much I want to start an herb garden in our backyard.

After lots of herb garden photo research on Pinterest, I finally found an idea that would work for us. The cinderblocks that form the border of the garden can be planted in, as well as containing the dirt and plants in the garden itself. Cinderblocks are affordable as well, and can sometimes be found on craigslist for free!

One of the blogs that I love to follow, Fresh Eggs Daily, focuses on the use of herbs in chicken care. It's almost as though she read my mind. Just the other day, she posted a blog about her 5 favorite herbs for chicken keepers. I decided that I will use this as my guide to select the herbs that I'll try to grow in my garden. She mentioned lavender, mint, oregano, parsley, and sage and why each of them was beneficial to chickens. These are all herbs that are beneficial to humans as well, and can be used in meal making (except for oregano - I just don't like it!). Check out the blog post she wrote here.

I am also learning about the ways that herbs can be used medicinally for chickens as dewormers and anti-parasitics as well as anti-inflammatories and cures for various other ailments. There seem to be a plethora of reasons to start the herb garden, if not for me, then for the chickens. My hope is to not need to rely on such strong feed store medications when they fall ill.

Do you have experience with herbs? If so, tell me about it! I'd love to hear your experiences!