Let’s talk about the best plants to grow for your backyard chickens. Growing your own chicken garden is a great way to enrich your chickens’ environment, boost their health, and reduce your feed costs.
Whether you have a small area in the backyard or your chickens free-range across a larger chicken yard, choosing the best chicken-friendly plants can support everything from immune systems to egg production.
While you won’t be able to fully replace commercial chicken feed, you can grow a variety of budget-friendly, easy-to-grow plants that make excellent supplemental treats. It’s specially formulated to provide the essential protein chickens need for consistent egg production. Your flock will love the variety, and you’ll love the savings and health benefits!
Best Plants to Grow for Your Backyard Chickens
Below is a list of herbs and plants organized by their main health benefits. These are perfect for planting near your chicken run, tucking into the chicken coop, or growing throughout your edible landscaping setup.
Calming & Stress-Reducing Herbs
Calm, happy chickens lay better and are easier to manage. These aromatic plants help reduce stress, especially in wintertime or during periods of unseasonal weather conditions.
- Lavender – Its soothing scent helps reduce anxiety.
- Chamomile – Calming, with mild antibiotic properties.
- Lemon Balm – Helps keep your feathered friends relaxed and supports chicken health overall.
These are especially beneficial if your own chickens are kept in a chicken pen and don’t get as much space to roam.
Immune-Boosting & Respiratory Health Herbs
Strong immune systems mean fewer illnesses and less reliance on medications.
- Oregano – Known for its antibiotic properties.
- Thyme – Supports respiratory health, especially useful during late fall.
- Garlic – A staple in the chicken owner’s toolkit for immunity.
These herbs can be added to chicken feed or brewed into herbal teas for a natural health boost.
Digestive Support & Egg Production Herbs
Boosting digestion and egg laying is every chicken owner’s goal. Try these:
- Dill – Aids digestion and makes a great chickens’ treat.
- Parsley – High in vitamins and great for egg production.
- Broccoli Greens & Beet Greens – Nutritious greens that improve digestion and produce rich yolks.
Feed these regularly for best results—especially during shorter growing seasons or in cool coastal areas.
Pest-Repelling & Coop-Freshening Herbs
Keep pests away and your chicken coop smelling fresh with these hardy plants:
- Mint – Repels insects and rodents.
- Rosemary – Great in nesting boxes and helps with compost pile control.
- Wormwood – A good idea for mite and lice prevention (use sparingly—it can be toxic in large amounts).
These herbs can be dried and added to bedding or freshened up in the chicken run regularly.
Herbs for Foraging, Enrichment & General Wellness
Allowing chickens to forage supports natural behaviors and makes for healthy chickens. Here are some common plants perfect for foraging:
- Mulberry Trees – Provide shade, berries, and free food.
- Siberian Pea Shrub – A good example of a nitrogen-fixing shrub with edible pods.
- White Clover – A cover crop that chickens love to nibble.
- Swiss Chard – Colorful, nutritious, and grows well in rich soil.
- Pumpkin Seeds – Can be scattered for a nutritious treat.
These work well for free-range chickens or when adding variety to their normal feed in the chicken yard.
Leafy Greens & Plants to Grow for Seeds
Adding fresh leafy greens and homegrown seeds to your flock’s diet is a great way to improve chicken health, save on feed costs, and provide enrichment in the chicken yard. These plants are easy to grow in a small area or scattered throughout a chicken garden, and many thrive in a variety of local conditions, including cool regions and shorter growing seasons.
Nutritious Leafy Greens for Chickens
Leafy greens are packed with vitamins and minerals that support healthy feathers, digestion, and egg production. Some of the best chicken-friendly greens include:
- Swiss Chard – Colorful and hardy, it grows well in rich soil and can handle cooler temperatures.
- Beet Greens – Chickens love them, and they’re easy to grow alongside root crops.
- Broccoli Greens – Don’t toss those leaves—chickens go wild for them, and they’re full of nutrients.
- Lettuce & Kale – Popular choices, especially in early spring and late summer plantings.
- Spinach – A great cool-weather crop, though best fed in moderation.
Let your free range chickens forage on these directly in the garden (just protect young plants with chicken wire) or harvest and toss handfuls into the chicken run for instant chickens’ treats.
Plants to Grow and Dry for Seeds
Drying seeds is a good idea for providing free food throughout the year, especially in winter time when fresh forage is limited. Just let the plants reach maturity, collect the seeds, dry them thoroughly, and store them in an airtight container until you’re ready to treat your feathered friends.
Here are some of the best options:
- Sunflowers – A favorite among chickens; the seeds are high in healthy fats and protein.
- Pumpkins – Let them ripen fully, scoop out the pumpkin seeds, dry them, and feed as a natural dewormer.
- Amaranth – Easy to grow in warmer climates, and chickens enjoy the tiny seeds.
- Flax – Great for omega-3s; adds a nutritional boost to their normal feed.
- Millet – A favorite in chicken feed blends and simple to grow in many climate zones.
These seed crops are also excellent for wild birds and can double as part of your edible landscaping. Be sure to research approximate sowing times for your specific microclimate to get the best results.
How to Use Herbs for Chickens
Knowing how to use herbs is just as important as growing them. Here are a few ways to incorporate your garden into your chickens’ environment:
In the Nesting Boxes
Tuck calming herbs like lavender and chamomile into the straw to soothe and freshen.
Mixed into Their Feed
Chop fresh herbs or dry them and mix into your chicken feed for added nutrition.
Herbal Water & Tea
Make herbal teas with oregano, thyme, or garlic to support health—especially during late summer or cool regions.
Fresh Herbs in the Chicken Run
Grow herbs directly in or near the chicken run—just be sure to protect young plants with hardware cloth or chicken wire.
Herbal Dust Baths
Mix dry herbs like rosemary, mint, and lavender into wood ash and wood chips for a refreshing dust bath.
Planning Your Chicken Garden
Every particular site will have its own specific microclimate, so choose plants based on your local conditions, approximate sowing times, and whether you’re in a different climate zone like alpine areas, warm temperate zone, or huge areas of Australia. Use a sowing chart to plan for the best time to plant.
Whether you’re planting fruit trees for extra shade, growing herbs for chicken health, or just want to reduce waste by using herbs in your compost pile, this is a great way to create a sustainable, enriching setup.
You don’t need web applications, web traffic, or to worry about web browsers and cookies—just a green thumb and a little planning. Best of luck growing for your feathered friends, and may your garden and chickens thrive next year and beyond.
