Can Chickens Eat Marigolds?
Can chickens eat Marigolds? You might be surprised to find out that these beautiful flowers are a superfood for your chickens and you!
Before we start I want to make this clear… I am not talking about Calendula AKA Pot Marigold. Calendula is not really a Marigold. Unfortunately, one often gets confused for the other.
Marigolds have turned into some of my favorite summertime flowers. More specifically, we are talking about African Marigolds. They look like yellow pom pons dangling from their green stems. As the bright yellow flowers come into bloom, they light up our pollinator garden and make it feel like sunshine. Lucky for us, they bloom like crazy here in South Carolina.
I’ll tell you what, these Marigolds are not all beauty and no benefits! No sir! Naturally, the bees and the butterflies flock to their golden petals. They flit and flutter from one flower to another taking in all of the pollen that they can muster!
They also repel the beasts of the land, Nematodes! When their flowers wither and die they leave behind their roots. According to the Farmers Almanac, “Some varieties are known for their ability starve out root-knot nematodes when planted the year before.” The dead Marigolds release a chemical from their roots into the soil.
So there you have it, they are best friends with the Gardener! Likewise, you will find that the Chicken Farmer loves them too!
Chickens Can Eat Marigolds!
Chickens that eat Marigolds are healthier birds
The Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science States that “dietary supplementation of marigold extract significantly increased the yellowness values of carcass, antioxidant capacity and meat quality in broiler chickens.” This study is saying that Marigold consumption helps improve the health and meat quality of your poultry!
Chickens that eat Marigolds produce healthier eggs for humans
When added to the diet, the yolk becomes a beautiful yellow color due to yellow Xanthophyll pigments in the Marigolds. While this has been the main reason for chickens to eat marigolds in the past, the benefits do not stop there.
The carotenoid lutein, a pigment that protects and improves human eyesight, is easier for the human body to absorb when it is present in egg yolks. According to an article in The Journal of Science and Agriculture, the addition of marigolds to a chicken’s diet also increases the amount of lutein present in the egg yolk.
Additionally, the International Journal Of Poultry Science held a study that indicated that the addition of Marigolds to quail poultry feed reduced the cholesterol content in their eggs. It will be interesting to see if further studies, will show the same effect on chicken eggs.
How do you get chickens to eat marigolds?
The answer is really simple. You can get chickens to eat marigolds by simply spreading fresh plucked petals and flowers on the ground of their coop.
For Marigold supplementation that lasts all year, consider drying the petals and grinding them up. You may add the Marigold powder to your chicken’s normal feed.
What if you do not have fresh Marigolds for your chickens to eat?
If you do not have fresh Marigolds growing in your garden, you may purchase various chicken supplements that have Marigold added.
