Each year I make it a point to plant Nasturtiums, a lovely entirely edible herb, near the chicken coop.  This year, I have had to plant them three times as other little critters beside the chickens have found them to be absolutely delicious.  The chickens love them.  I happen to think that they smell and taste like capers.  It never takes long for the girls to notice when I push the stalks up against the wire of the run. Oyster Cracker, my little piggy, always comes over first to take a nibble. Planting herbs for hens is a wonderful way to keep them happy when they can’t free range and also provide a nice source of shade from the summer sun.

Soon enough, she is joined by her best friend Sunshine and usually Feathers our Black Silkie.  These three love to pull the stems and flowers through the wire.   With each stem broken, the delicious peppery smell of nasturtium fills the air.  I can feel my mouth watering!  Luckily, nasturtiums grow back quickly.

Some other herbs that your chickens might enjoy include:

Basil

Oregano

Wormwood
Lavender
Mint
Catnip
Bay leaves
Chamomile
Fennel
Parsley
Rosemary
Tarragon
Marjoram
Cilantro

You will find that the chickens’ taste will vary from flock to flock.  Sometimes, one flock devours a certain herb while another flock could care less.  Like people, they have their own sense of likes and dislikes.  Herbs are also wonderful dried and sprinkled in the coop during the cooler Fall and Winter months.  This helps to keep them busy scratching and searching for tasty bits of dried herbs and provides them a bit of aromatherapy when they tend to spend more time in the coop than outdoors.  If you would like to create an herb garden for your chickens too click here.  It is great fun and rewarding for the entire family.