Mineral Gut Mix - Chickens
Together this is the mineral and gut jar. Kelp for what the dirt does not give them. Leaf for the gut lining. Fennel so they digest it. Clove and cinnamon as the light antimicrobial.
This is an every other day add in for our flock. 2 teaspoons per 5 chickens.
I make everything in bulk, adjust accordingly for your flock size. If your flock is only on feed/ grains, mix based on their daily intake or if you’re doing multiple days of feed/ grains in larger feeders, mix well and adjust as needed.
Ingredients:
Kelp powder: 28 oz (794 g)
Dried blackberry leaf, ground: 20 oz (567 g)
Fennel seed, ground: 10 oz (283 g)
Clove, ground: 3 oz (85 g)
Ceylon Cinnamon: 3 oz (85 g)
Benefits:
Kelp. Iodine and trace minerals. Thyroid, feather growth, shell quality, and nerves. Chickens on inland dirt run short on iodine. This is the reason the jar exists. Too much kelp every day can push iodine high. Three times a week, at 2 teaspoons for 5 birds, stays in range.
Blackberry leaf. Tannins tighten a loose gut, and the leaf brings minerals and vitamin C. Useful when droppings are loose or the pen is wet from the rainy season.
*Alternatively raspberry leaves or strawberry leaves if blackberry is not available.
Fennel seed. Digestion. It moves gas, supports appetite, and has a mild traditional use against worms. Bonus! Birds love the taste. Ground seed is the one they actually use. Whole seed mostly passes through.
Clove. Eugenol. This is the strong antimicrobial and the traditional worm piece in the jar. It irritates parasites and supports the gut against bacterial load. Small on purpose. Daily clove at a high scoop shows up in egg flavor and can irritate the gut.
Ceylon Cinnamon. Gut and yeast pressure. Mildly antimicrobial, helps the birds keep eating the kelp, and supports blood sugar balance in the mix.
Together this is the mineral and gut jar. Kelp for what the dirt does not give them. Leaf for the gut lining. Fennel so they digest it. Clove and cinnamon as the light antimicrobial.