Met an older lady at the feed store who knew more about chicken health than my vet

Honestly I was picking up some oyster shell last Saturday at Tractor Supply in Springfield and this woman maybe 70 years old stopped me cause she saw the bag in my cart. She asked if I had laying hens and I said yeah three Rhode Island Reds and she just started telling me how she keeps twenty birds in her backyard and hasnt lost one to illness in over a decade. She said the trick is mixing dried mint and oregano into their feed every month because it keeps respiratory stuff away naturally. I stood there for like 15 minutes listening to her talk about her flock and she even wrote down her recipe on a scrap of paper. Has anyone else run into a random chicken keeper who dropped serious knowledge on them like that?

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2 Comments

elizabeth_williams10d ago

Started mixing dried mint in my girls' feed after reading this and now they're actually drinking more water cause it floats and they love pecking at it. Definitely underestimated how much simple herbs could change their daily routine.

val22310d ago

Tried that with oregano once and my chickens went absolutely nuts for it but then they started ignoring their regular feed for like two days straight just waiting for me to sprinkle more herbs on top. Had to wean them off slowly like they were some kind of addicts rehab situation. Ended up planting a mini herb garden right next to the coop so they can peck at the fresh stuff whenever they want but at least now they eat their pellets again.