Feeding your hens food scraps from your leftover meals is certainly one. But for putting a bigger dent in that feed bill, grow some healthy feed alternatives right there in your backyard or homestead.
Herbs are a wonderful choice to grow for your chickens. Not only do chickens like to eat many different herbs, but most herbs have some other uses you may want to try in the chicken coop and run.
A hardy perennial in Zones 5 – 10 gardens, Oregano is a pungently aromatic plant that is one of the most important herbs in Italian, Greek and Mexican cooking. It has a bold flavor and a hardy constitution. It is also called Wild Marjoram.
The flavor of Oregano can vary greatly from variety to variety. Greek Oregano is the spiciest.
Why Feed Oregano to Chickens
Immune system: Oregano can strengthen a chicken's immune system, helping to protect against common illnesses like salmonella and avian flu.
Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory: Oregano has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Intestinal health: Oregano can improve intestinal integrity and stimulate intestinal flora, which can help prevent diarrhea.
Egg quality: Oregano can improve egg quality.
Growth performance: Oregano can promote growth performance.
Reduced use of antibiotics: Oregano can reduce the need for conventional antibiotics in chicken feed.
Reduced infestation: Oregano can reduce infestation by pathogens like the red bird mite and histomoniasis (black head disease).
Appetizing: Oregano's essential oils can make food more appealing to chickens.
You can feed oregano to chickens fresh or mix dried oregano into their feed. Oregano essential oils don't affect the taste or appearance of eggs.
Using Oregano in the Chicken Coop
Disease prevention
Oregano can help prevent common poultry illnesses like salmonella, avian flu, and infectious bronchitis.
Anti-coccidial
Oregano has anti-coccidial properties that can help reduce oocyst excretions from infected birds.
Stress relief
Oregano essential oils can help chickens cope with stressors like parasites, temperature changes, and pathogens.
Grow in the coop
You can grow oregano in your chicken coop. To keep the plant from being damaged, you can cover the pot with chicken wire and attach it to the outside of the pot with a staple gun.
Where to Grow Oregano
You can grow some herbs like Oregano inside your chicken run by sowing seeds inside a wire fence circle like the above picture. It will keep your chickens from digging the plants right out of the ground until it's time to remove the fencing and let them feast!
Herbs are great plants to grow in pots and containers which can easily be moved right into the chicken run when ready to feed.
You can also designate a few raised garden beds for growing great food for your chickens so there's always some healthy foods available to toss in and watch the show!
Where to Grow Oregano
You can grow some herbs like Oregano inside your chicken run by sowing seeds inside a wire fence circle like the above picture. It will keep your chickens from digging the plants right out of the ground until it's time to remove the fencing and let them feast!
Herbs are great plants to grow in pots and containers which can easily be moved right into the chicken run when ready to feed.
You can also designate a few raised garden beds for growing great food for your chickens so there's always some healthy foods available to toss in and watch the show!
Spring Sowing
Direct sow 4-6 weeks before the last frost date or as soon as the soil can be worked, or sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date.
Direct sow 4-6 weeks before the last frost date or as soon as the soil can be worked, or sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date.
Winter Sowing
If you haven't tried winter sowing, you're in for a treat. This method is especially good for sowing herbs. Winter sowing is basically sowing seeds in the bottom of clear milk jugs in the winter, setting the milk jugs outside for the winter and leaving them there until the seeds germinate in the Spring.
For our article containing detailed information about Winter Sowing, click here
To watch our 30 minute video on how to winter sow, click here.
If you haven't tried winter sowing, you're in for a treat. This method is especially good for sowing herbs. Winter sowing is basically sowing seeds in the bottom of clear milk jugs in the winter, setting the milk jugs outside for the winter and leaving them there until the seeds germinate in the Spring.
For our article containing detailed information about Winter Sowing, click here
To watch our 30 minute video on how to winter sow, click here.
Soft Cuttings
Take cuttings in spring when new growth is several inches in length. Side shoots of 4" in length are perfect. Cut the stem at an angle and remove lower leaves leaving an inch or two of the stem bare. Plant cutting bare side down into a well-drained soil mix. No fertilizer is needed at this stage.
Wrap the container in plastic to keep in humidity. Avoid having the leaves touch the plastic. Place the pot in light but out of direct light. Keep soil moist but never soggy. Remove the plastic when cutting grows roots. A light tug that gives you some resistance means it has rooted.
Overwinter Plant Care
Oregano plants should be cut back to ground level and covered with a layer of mulch. Containers can be brought inside for the winter.
Harvesting Oregano
As soon as the leaves are large enough to use and before the plant flowers.
Snip the leaves individually or shear plants to 2” above ground level just before flowering and again a month before the first frost. You'll get two harvests that way.
Harvesting Oregano Seed
Oregano seeds are tiny and develop after the flowers fade in late summer or fall. Collect and thoroughly dry seeds before storing them in an airtight container.
Storing Oregano
Fresh
Damp Paper Towel
This method works well for hardy herbs that have woody stems as well as a few soft-stemmed herbs.
Clean and thoroughly dry the Oregano. Arrange lengthwise in a single layer on a slightly damp paper towel. Loosely roll up the herb and transfer to a plastic bag or plastic wrap. Label and store in the fridge.
Oregano will stay fresh in the fridge using this method for up to 2 weeks.
Freezing
For best results, use frozen Oregano within 1-2 years.
By freezing herbs, you will lose some of the herb's texture but preserve the flavor.
Here are some freezing methods:
Tray Freeze
Spread herb onto a cookie sheet on a single layer. Freeze in the freezer, then transfer the Oregano into a labeled freezer bag to store. Since the leaves are frozen separately, later you can easily remove the amount you need.
Ice Cube Trays with Oil
This method works well for hard-stemmed herbs that would probably be cooked when adding to a dish. The oil reduces some of the browning and freezer burn.
Clean and thoroughly dry the Oregano. Mince and firmly pack herbs into an ice cube tray 3/4 full. Add Olive Oil to fill and freeze. Transfer frozen cubes into labeled freezer bags to store.
Flat Freezer Bag
Trim off the stems and place in a labeled freezer bag. Squeeze out the air, flatten the freezer bag, label and store.
Drying Oregano
Oregano is one of the best herbs to use in a dried form. For best results, use dried Oregano within 1-2 years.
Hang to Dry
Pick your Oregano in bunches right before you intend to store them. Tie the bottom of the bunch together with twine and hang upside down to dry in a dry, low humidity area. For added protection against dust, you can put the bundles inside paper bags with plenty of holes for ventilation. When the herbs are dry, the leaves will crumble easily between your fingers. Store in an air tight container.
Using Oregano
- Oregano adds zest to pasta and pizza sauces.
- It complements meats and vegetables.
- Garlic, onion, thyme, basil, parsley and olive oil are complementary partners.
- Makes a great ground cover.
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Growing your own herbs is fun, easy, more healthy than the herbs shipped to grocery stores, and what's best, saves you tons of money! Try it today.
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