herbal medicine garden for chickens

[Leahs Mom]

I like mints too. I'm excited to get the chocolate planted.

This morning I got a couple different bee balms, chamomile, chocolate mint, dill and basil annuals, and some chives from the local farmer's market. I'm going to expand my herb garden area this year.

Off to the garden!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't know about that I noticed one place I have Comfrey growing the poison ivy is growing just fine right there with it. lol
Mine hasn't spread much at all but don't bush hog it or you'll be sorry. I'd really like to have more so maybe I need to get out the weed eater and scatter those seeds.

 

[Leahs Mom]

And...I wish there were some great way to get rid of PI without chemical! In my little chicken woods I started tearing it up by hand (fully covered) and then putting redmond salt where it was growing to hopefully kill those roots. I was getting PI from handling the birds since they were running through it every day and finally realized that it was on them. Even gathering eggs was risky They can eat the redmond salt with no harm and it seems to be doing the job. I do check it regularly and put salt on is needed..


But I want them to be able to run in the larger area so I'm considering using something worse in those areas to try to clean it up before I ever let them out there. I'm an organic homestead, but PI is one of those things that I might "bite the bullet" and use small amount of chemical as appropriate.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Red mond salt I'll have to look that up. Never heard of it.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I get it by the 50 lb bag at the feed mill. It is for livestock use. They are the makers of "Real Salt" that you see in the stores in shaker size for human consumption.


The reason I used that kind in particular is that I know it's a healthy salt and if the birds ingest any of it it won't hurt them like a chemical poison will.

http://www.fertrell.com/redmondtracemineralsalt.htm

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for the info never would have thought it would kill Poison Ivy we have so much of it growing here. I'd have to buy it by the ton. But how is it with other plants probably kills everything right?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Yes. Unfortunately it will kill what's there.

Now just to disclaimer - I pulled the visible plants in the area I used it in and tried to pull whatever roots came with them. Then I put the salt on the area where the root was going into the ground. That was last summer. Then I watched it and if I saw anything that looked like a sprout, I'd kick it with my foot to "pull" it, then put salt on that area.

This spring I went out and salted that area pretty heavily. I'm keeping watch on it but haven't seen any yet. If I see any sprouts I'll kick them out, then put salt more heavily on that place.

In the big woods I haven't pulled anything. That's the area that I'm going to probably use chemical and try to get it under control before the chickens have access. I'm talking about an acre in that area (or a little more). The little area I did last year was maybe 20x20.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It would not work for me then close around the house because unfortunately it is growing around where I have things already planted so since my dh isn't allergic to it maybe I'll get him to get it out for me around my comfrey.

 

[Leahs Mom]

That would be GREAT to have someone that's able to pull it!

Last year I was wondering what to do with it. You can't burn it. Compost? No. All I could think of was to dig a very deep hole and bury it so deep that it wouldn't be able to root and grow up through.

I actually ended up bagging it and having the trash guys haul it as yard waste.

Such a quandary.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

My chickens love nasturtium, but hate pungent herbs like rosemary or oregano. They will eat mint however, but I am hesitant to put it in the chicken garden around the coop because it takes over.