Great Greens

Suzie Baldwin recommends some favourites from the garden which are great for your chickens’ health

Chickens really benefit from having a daily portion of greens as they contain vitamins and minerals, equivalent to our five a day. Raw is best. It is also advantageous to hang your greens, which enables your girls to peck small pieces off as they would do naturally. You don’t need to rush off to the supermarket to give your girls a treat; at the moment our hedgerows and gardens are full of plants (mostly what we call weeds!) that have amazing health benefits. Most can be dried and stored to be used in the winter months. Remember, as with all things in life, small amounts occasionally are much more beneficial than a huge amount in one go then nothing for months! Below are just a few of the many herbs I use to keep my girls in good health. Prevention is always better than cure… or so my nan always said.

Be aware that if you are collecting outside of your garden you need to be sure they haven’t been sprayed with chemicals. This is more likely in urban and roadside areas than in woodland and less tended areas.

PLANTAIN