5 Herbs for Chickens (and Ducks!) I Grow Every Year
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I’ve been raising chickens since 2013, and ducks more recently… and from the very beginning, herbs have been part of how I care for them all.
It’s not really a surprise, though, is it?
I already grow herbs for my own apothecary here in New Hampshire, so it made sense to start using them for my flock too.
Herbal medicine isn’t just for humans — animals have been self-medicating with plants for as long as they’ve existed.
Ever watch a cat eat grass in the yard? They’re simply trying to ease digestion or help clear a hairball.
Animals have always known how to use what’s growing around them. We, humans, are the ones who forgot!
That’s the philosophy behind how I raise my birds. I focus on prevention first, herbs when something needs addressing, and conventional treatments as a last resort.
Here are the herbs for chickens (and ducks!) I come back to every single year.
Summary
In this post, I’m sharing the five herbs I come back to every single year (sage, oregano, dill, yarrow, and calendula), what the research says about each one, how they actually grow for me here in New Hampshire, and exactly how I offer them to my flock — plus the safety basics I’d want any beginner to know before starting.
Why I Don’t Have a Separate Garden for My Chickens and Ducks
Some people grow a dedicated herb garden just for their flock. I don’t… and I don’t think it’s necessary.
Instead, I grow herbs for myself first — for my own apothecary and kitchen — and whatever’s abundant gets shared with the chickens and ducks. It’s one garden doing double duty.
That said, I do have a bigger vision for this. Right now my flock cycles through my garden and blueberry patch.
But I’d love to add a space designed just for them — somewhere they can forage during the summer months when I don’t want them loose in the main garden.
Think poultry-friendly herbs, perennial greens, and other plants chosen specifically for them. I’m excited to creat this soon!
Rotating where my flock forages is one of the best tools I have for managing parasites and other health issues. It’s a core part of how I think about flock management, and it’s exactly the kind of layered, multi-purpose design permaculture is built around.
Safety Precautions Before We Begin
The herbs I’m sharing below are all considered safe for chickens and ducks when fed properly.
As with every natural remedy, amounts or dosages are important. Here are a few ground rules before you start.
Don’t let herbs replace their feed. Herbs should never displace a significant portion of their regular feed ration — they’re a supplement, not a meal replacement. I feed herbs about 70–80% of the time or less, which also gives their systems a break from any one herb regularly.
Offer, don’t force. I often put herbs in a separate dish rather than mixing them directly into feed, so the flock can eat them free-choice. If they’re not interested one day, that’s fine.
I’ve never had a problem feeding herbs to my flock, especially when they’re offered free-choice rather than mixed into the feed. But if you notice any unusual changes — respiratory issues, digestive distress like diarrhea — it’s worth stopping the herbs to see if they may be the cause.
I’m not a vet, so please consult one if a bird has an existing health condition. And if you’re ever unsure about a plant or a symptom, it’s worth doing your own research or checking with an avian vet — especially if you’re just getting started.
My Top Five Favorite Herbs for Chickens and Ducks
If you want to start incorporating herbs into your chicken or duck care, these five are exactly where I’d suggest you begin.
I chose them for three reasons: they’re easy to grow here in Zone 4/5 New Hampshire, I always end up with more than I can use myself, and they’re well-established as safe for chickens and ducks.
They’re also incredibly beginner-friendly — you don’t need any special growing skill or herbal knowledge to get started with these.
Sage
If all you know is the dried, jarred sage from the grocery store, you’re missing what makes this herb so powerful.
Fresh sage has a strong, astringent smell — the kind where you just know there’s something potent going on. I have two huge sage plants growing just outside my front door, and they clearly love it there.
Sage is antimicrobial, meaning it fights bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites — which makes it a genuinely useful herb for backyard flocks, not just a nice-smelling addition.
According to research, sage has been shown to:
- Reduce E. coli levels
- Reduce Salmonella levels
- Improve intestinal health
- Improve immune function
Growing Sage for Chickens and Ducks
Sage is reliably perennial in Zone 5 and up. Here in New Hampshire, we’re right on the border of Zone 4 and 5, so placement matters.
Mine is in a favorable microclimate. It’s south-facing, right by the front door, protected from harsh north winter wind. And it comes back reliably every year.
Sage is usually one of the first herbs ready to share with the flock each spring.
How to Give Sage to Chickens and Ducks
I’ve offered whole sprigs, but chopping it and sprinkling it over their food works best in my experience. A small handful mixed in a few times a week is more than enough.
Sage is potent, so this isn’t one I’d offer in large amounts daily. I am never in enough of a routine to offer herbs daily, so I don’t worry about how much I’m giving, but if you do feed herbs daily, go easy on this one.
Oregano
Of everything on this list, oregano is the most potent medicine by far. Oregano oil is often cited as a natural antibiotic for both humans and animals, and the studies back this up.
But for chickens specifically, a 2021 study found that oregano given to chickens had these main benefits:
- Alleviated oxidative stress in intestines
- Improved production of natural antibodies
- Improved the intestinal microbiome
Other studies on ducks have found that ducks benefit from oregano in similar ways to chickens.
Oregano has also been shown to alleviate coccidiosis in chickens, according to this study.
It’s truly an amazing herb!
Growing Oregano for Chickens and Ducks
Technically, oregano is a perennial in Zone 4, but I haven’t had luck keeping it alive through the winter here. My guess is it’s too damp for oregano through our snow and rain, rather than the cold itself.
Either way, I treat it as an annual (with hopes of finding the right place for it to overwinter).
It’s ready for harvest by summer and keeps producing through fall. I have also dug oregano up to bring inside for a longer harvest.
How to Give Oregano to Chickens and Ducks
Once it’s growing well in summer, I cut sprigs straight into their feed pan. Sometimes they’re stripped from the stem, sometimes I leave the whole sprig if I’m feeling lazy.
The birds always figure it out either way.
Because oregano is so potent, I would treat it more sparingly. A light sprinkle a couple times a week is plenty.
Dill
This one might surprise you. I first gave dill to my flock offhand.
I’d grown far more than I had cucumbers to pickle, so I figured I’d offer the extra to the chickens and ducks and see what they thought.
I gave them the flower tops, along with heads that had already gone to seed, and they seemed to like it.
Turns out dill actually offers real benefits for a flock. It’s nutrient-rich, and it also carries some genuine antimicrobial properties.
According to a review of studies, dill is:
- Antibiotic
- Antispasmodic
- Tumor-fighting
- Sedative and disinfecting
- Antibacterial
- Diuretic and carminative
Other research shows dill seeds specifically support GI health in chickens, while the leaves act more as a general health booster.
Growing Dill for Chickens and Ducks
I grow dill almost exclusively for pickling, so whatever’s left over goes to the flock.
It’s an annual, meaning you’ll need to replant it each year. It’s supposed to self-seed fairly well, but I’ve never actually noticed mine doing that reliably.
Dill doesn’t like being disturbed once it starts growing, so direct seeding (after danger of frost) is your best bet.
How to Give Dill to Chickens and Ducks
I just chop the dill heads — either as flowers or after they’ve gone to seed — and offer them straight to the flock. Because it’s milder than sage or oregano, I’m less careful about how often I offer it; whatever’s extra usually just goes in.
Yarrow
Yarrow is one of my favorite herbs overall — and it happens to be a great choice for chickens and ducks too.
Studies show wild birds like starlings will actually line their nests with yarrow to repel pests and parasites, and it’s also effective at killing mosquito larvae.
So it made total sense to me when my ducks chose my yarrow patch to nest in this summer (see image below!)
Growing Yarrow for Chickens and Ducks
Yarrow is reliably perennial here in New Hampshire and one of the earliest herbs to come back in spring.
If you’re starting it for the first time, it’s still an easy one — just direct-seed (or transplant) after your last frost date.
Grab my free seed starting planner here.
Don’t expect much of a harvest the first year, but by year two and beyond, it really takes off.
How to Give Yarrow to Chickens and Ducks
I sprinkle it on their food like the other herbs, but yarrow pulls double duty — it also makes great nesting material.
I’ll cut a handful and toss it straight into the nesting box.
Because it’s gentle, I don’t worry much about how often I offer it, either as food or bedding.
Calendula
Calendula is another one of my all-time favorite herbs, and it comes with real benefits for chicken and duck flocks too.
Calendula salve can be used topically on chickens and ducks for skin wounds. They can eat it as well — it’s packed with nutrients and carries anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
I’ve often fed year-old dried calendula to my flock to make room for a new harvest.
Calendula added to feed is also thought to deepen egg yolk color and improve the color of a chicken’s comb and wattle. I’ve never noticed this specifically, but I also wasn’t looking for that benefit.
Growing Calendula for Chickens and Ducks
Calendula is technically an annual, but it self-seeds so readily it often behaves like a perennial.
In fact, the calendula I have this year started as a volunteer plant — it seeded itself somewhere random, and I simply transplanted it into the garden to help bring in pollinators.
My advice is to plant calendula somewhere you actually want it to keep coming back, because it will!
How to Give Calendula to Chickens and Ducks
I’ve offered dried calendula in the past, but they enjoy fresh just as much.
Like yarrow, it’s another great option for nesting boxes, and it’s gentle enough that I don’t limit how often I offer it.
I just cut it and toss it into the run or into their nesting box.
Final Thoughts
Herbal medicine has been one of the most rewarding things to learn for myself and my family, so it only made sense that it would cross over to how I care for my flock too.
These five herbs are easy to grow, easy to offer, and let my chickens and ducks take what they need, when they need it.
If you’re just starting out, don’t feel like you need to grow all five at once. Pick one or two that already do well in your garden and build from there — the flock will figure out the rest.
