Many backyard poultry owners feed their birds primarily a diet of commercial pellets. However, this may not always be enough to meet the complex nutritional needs of ducks. Your flock needs access to plenty of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements only found in fresh food.
Garden herbs make an excellent addition to any duck’s diet, and some people even claim that they make eggs and meat taste better. What’s more, adding herbs to your duck’s diet can help to protect against common illnesses and infections.
Here, we’re going to answer the question: what herbs can ducks eat? We’ll cover the six best garden herbs to help spice up your duck’s diet and keep them feeling fit and healthy.
Oregano
Oregano is a delicious, fast-growing herb that’s easy to care for, even for beginners to gardening. It’s one of the best herbs to add to your duck’s diet, thanks to its natural antibiotic and antifungal properties.
Even large poultry farms such as Bell & Evans use oregano oil in place of lab-made antibiotics. Oregano contains a chemical called carvacrol, which is responsible for both its immune-boosting anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties.
The compound is also known to help improve digestive health and nutrient absorption. A natural chemical called thymol gives oregano its antifungal properties.
Eating oregano can help to protect against several common poultry diseases, including E.coli, avian flu, bronchitis, and parasitic conditions such as blackhead disease and coccidiosis.
It also boosts the immune system, offering widespread protection against a whole host of illnesses and infections.
If you’re thinking about growing your own oregano, you might be asking: can ducks eat fresh herbs?
One of the easiest ways to add oregano to your duck’s diet is allowing them to free feed from fresh, live plants. Leaves and stems are safe for both ducks and ducklings. You can also dry oregano leaves, adding them to your flock’s water to make a robust antioxidant tea.
The most potent form of oregano is as an essential oil. You can add it to either their feed or water for a beneficial effect. However, keep in mind that a little bit goes a long way when it comes to oils. Adding too much may end up having adverse effects. You should only add one drop per gallon of water.
Thyme
Thyme is a hardy herb that doesn’t require much maintenance to thrive. It has antibacterial and antibiotic properties similar to oregano, thanks to its carvacrol content.
Thyme also contains high levels of thymol, making it a potent antifungal. Thymol also acts as an immune booster and a more efficient antioxidant than carvacrol.
Thyme is another herb currently used by operations such as Perdue Farms to reduce dependency on manufactured antibiotics. Adding a small amount of thyme oil to feed or water can offer a wide variety of benefits for backyard poultry.
Using herbs in their pure form can be risky, and so many owners choose to offer herbs by growing live plants around the coop. Both ducks and ducklings can safely free feed on fresh thyme leaves, though stems are too woody.
Like oregano, you can also add dried herbs to water to make tea. Scattering dried herbs around the floor of your flock’s run can make for some more exciting foraging.
Cilantro
If you’re a fan of this zesty herb, you might be wondering: can ducks eat cilantro?
While cilantro might be hit or miss for humans, most ducks love the taste. Also known as coriander, cilantro is easy to grow. Under the right conditions, it produces plenty of delicious, leafy greens in a short amount of time.
Cilantro is rich in antioxidants, making it an excellent supplement to a pellet or grain diet. It contains high levels of vitamin K, which is essential in blood clotting and overall heart health. There’s also plenty of vitamin A, which helps to promote both eye and bone health.
Cilantro contains high levels of vitamin C, which is particularly good for ducklings. It helps to promote healthy growth as well as boost the immune system. Mature ducks can also benefit from adding more vitamin C to their diet.
You can free feed live cilantro to your ducks as a low-maintenance way of offering them dietary supplements. You can also offer up either fresh or live leaves if you’d prefer to control your flock’s intake.
Scattering dried cilantro on food and around nesting areas gives your ducks more goodies to forage while also working to prevent fungal growth.
Mint
Mint is a popular choice of herb amongst gardeners for its pleasant aroma. It also happens to make a delicious treat for any ducks that might happen to be wandering by. Most poultry love mint, with some owners even claiming that it has a calming effect.
Most certainly, eating mint can help to improve your flock’s health. Mint can help to improve both digestive and respiratory health in poultry. It also contains nutrients and antioxidants such as vitamin A, iron, and folate.
Both live and dried mint leaves act as natural repellents for insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and rodents. It can keep your ducks’ living quarters clean and pest-free. It also reduces the likelihood of insects laying eggs in your flock’s water supply.
You can let mint grow or sprinkle leaves around your duck’s foraging area. It’s safe for both ducklings and mature ducks to eat. Mint can also make a cooling addition to water, but it won’t have the same repellent effect.
Lavender
If you’re wondering what herbs ducks can eat, lavender might not be something that comes to mind. However, it can make a welcome addition to most duck’s homes and diets.
The scent of lavender is popular in aromatherapy for its calming properties. Growing lavender around your duck’s coop can help to keep them relaxed, particularly hens as they lay. Lavender, like mint, also acts as a natural insect and pest deterrent.
It’s not just the scent of lavender that can be beneficial to your ducks. It’s rich in antioxidants that help to support the circulatory system and the digestive system.
What’s more, lavender boasts antibacterial and antifungal properties that help to keep both your ducks and their living quarters safe.
Many people who use lavender for pest control choose to grow it around the perimeter of their coop, allowing ducks and ducklings access for feeding.
You can also hang bundles of lavender both to ward off pests and provide a fun treat, or you can scatter dried flowers around the coop for foraging.
Sage
Sage is another herb that’s relatively quick and easy to grow for gardeners of all skill levels. It’s full of antioxidants and nutrients such as vitamin K, zinc, copper, and more. Sage makes a healthy and delicious supplement to any duck’s diet.
Adding sage to your duck’s diet may even help to ward off salmonella. It’s a common cause of illness in people who handle poultry and their eggs. However, sage can help to reduce the risk of infection.
You can grow sage freely around your run for both ducks and ducklings to enjoy. It’s also OK to scatter dried leaves in feed or on the ground. Like other herbs, you can also add sage to water to make a healthy “tea” for your flock.
In Conclusion
If you raise backyard poultry, you may be asking yourself: what herbs can ducks eat?
Most herbs that are safe for use are also safe for our feathered friends. Many carry health benefits, with some even protecting against illness and infection. Including plenty of herbs in your chicken’s diet will help them get all of the nutrients they need for long and healthy life.