is it possible for some herbs to reverse beneficial effects of vitamins and such in chickens like spinach can absorb calcium from the chickens gut

[JPadronMiami]

is it possible for some herbs to reverse effects of beneficial vitamins and such in chickens like spinach can absorb calcium from the chickens gut affecting egg production? some of the herbs I use regularly is home grown, oregano, mint, cilantro, several types of basil, rosemary, lavender, dill, parsley, and sage.

 

[aart]

I'd use these for seasonings when cooking a chicken,
but I can't imagine any point in feeding them to live chickens.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes. its possible. Its possible an asteroid will streak thru the atmosphere and end me before I finish this post. No, just like the possible asteroid, its not likely. The amount your birds would need to eat to have significant health impact (for good or ill) FAR exceeds the amount your birds will eat, and in some cases, can eat.

Herbs and spices go ON birds, not IN them. (unless you are seasoning the cavity for baking of course - but spatchcocking results in more reliable final temperature control).

 

[nuthatched]

Feeding chickens dried or fresh herbs does nothing health wise.
Some are also toxic to chickens, some have helpful components for specific things but giving them all herbs everyday is like taking a little bit of everything in your medicine cabinet everyday, you are slowly poisoning yourself while building immunity to any helpful components.
Herbal medicine is refined, purified and properly dosed.
I treat naturopathy like medicine, because it is medicine. A potent, possibly helpful, possibly harmful, possibly deadly- medicine...just like any RX.
If you want to do herbs, I reccomended attending classes by a professional, classically trained herbalist or naturopathic doctor. :]

 

[Penpal]

If you grow these plants where your chickens can get to them they will nibble on them if they need to. They will otherwise probably leave them alone. Like, you only take an aspirin if you have a fever or headache.

 

[JPadronMiami]

very well said folks, i knew i could get some good feed back and recommendations from here, just so's you know, i don't give them daily or regularly, perhaps twice a month, to date have had no negative health issues or detrimental impact on the birds in general, they are active, very healthy, vibrant birds, hand raised. I would welcome some feedback from enthusiasts that do follow some consistent pattern with feeding natural herbs to their poultry and maybe share some of their experience's? otherwise thank you for the responses, much obliged!

 

[JPadronMiami]

very well said folks, i knew i could get some good feed back and recommendations from here, just so's you know, i don't give them daily or regularly, perhaps twice a month, to date have had no negative health issues or detrimental impact on the birds in general, they are active, very healthy, vibrant birds, hand raised. I would welcome some feedback from enthusiasts that do follow some consistent pattern with feeding natural herbs to their poultry and maybe share some of their experience's? otherwise thank you for the responses, much obliged!

Yes. its possible. Its possible an asteroid will streak thru the atmosphere and end me before I finish this post. No, just like the possible asteroid, its not likely. The amount your birds would need to eat to have significant health impact (for good or ill) FAR exceeds the amount your birds will eat, and in some cases, can eat.

Herbs and spices go ON birds, not IN them. (unless you are seasoning the cavity for baking of course - but spatchcocking results in more reliable final temperature control).

View attachment 3987506

!!!!!!what times supper? I bring the spirits beer or wine?

 

[casportpony]

is it possible for some herbs to reverse effects of beneficial vitamins and such in chickens like spinach can absorb calcium from the chickens gut affecting egg production? some of the herbs I use regularly is home grown, oregano, mint, cilantro, several types of basil, rosemary, lavender, dill, parsley, and sage.

You should read this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/spinach-and-oxalic-acid.1327080/post-21649467

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Each chicken would have to be eating their weight in spinach every day for it to affect calcium absorption. Some of the alarms that go off with eating too much of certain things when it comes to nutrients absorption and toxicity make me laugh. The other day for example, I was reading an article written by a scientist that was ranting about how alarmed he was because it was legal for supplements to contain a certain vitamin. The whole premise of the article was too much of this vitamin is toxic and therefore it shouldn’t be available freely to the public(too much of anything can be toxic). I couldn’t stop laughing when I got to the study that “proved” his theory of toxicity…it was toxic when 42 grams of this vitamin were taken. Now 42 grams is an absolutely insane amount to take when it comes to any vitamin. I went on Google and searched many different brands of supplements containing this particular vitamin and they had a 1000mg maximum dose (equivalent to 1 gram) with most only containing a few hundred mg. Also the supplements all had the standard 30 pills per bottle. So to get to the point of toxicity this scientist was ranting about you would have to consume a full bottle along with almost a 1/2 of another bottle in a day (42 capsules total). If you have extra fresh herbs that need used up and are chicken safe toss them to them if you want. My chickens have access to my herb garden, but never really touch it. If you want to grow something beneficial to chickens I would recommend forages like alfalfa and clover instead of herbs.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

!!!!!!what times supper? I bring the spirits beer or wine?View attachment 3987939

I'm a beer snob, so I'd suggest a Belgian Wit. Celis would be excellent choice if you are bringing a domestic. Hoegaarden if you have a liquor store with a small selection. If you have a real liquor store, I could make some other recommends, depending on your budget, among Trappist Singles.

Re: Oxalates, brief exchange I participated in a few days ago.

Another from a few months back.


I am NOT a fan of people making up their own chicken feeds or substantially altering their chicken diet with large quantities of any given ingredient. Too many who do so, or plan to do so, know nothing about chicken nutritional needs - because a few minutes research would reveal why their plan is anticipated to be net negative for nutrition, economics, or both.

That said, I have a biodiverse polyculture (my acres of weeds) for my birds to forage, and plenty of herbs, fruits, and veg I grow myself that my birds can nibble on if desired - they mostly ignore. Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Mint, Methi (fenugreek), Coriander/Cilantro, Scallion, numerous citrus, peaches, apples, several varieties of grape, bananas, etc.

Again, mostly ignore - though they sometimes eat part of a leaf while consuming a bug on the plant, and they do frequently dustbathe in one of my oregano patches - but not the others - its the soil there they are interested in, not the plant.