I have about 42 different things I dehydrate for feeding the layers in winter. Most are packed in quart jars, but there are also a good many ½ gallon jars also. I use canning jars because I can vacuum seal them.
Sunday’s harvest was chamomile, rosemary, and pineapple mint. Harvesting for the chickens is easier than harvesting for our own consumption. I am much less picky about the condition of the plant, the bugs, and the dirt.
The chamomile is just starting to come in. I use the leaves and flowers only. I seldom use stems from any plants as they have little value and take up a lot of room. They also do not dry the same as leaves and could carry extra moisture into the jars. The chamomile has a calming effect and can be hung in nest boxes fresh.
This is a combination of the tips from the 4 outside rosemary plants and a good pruning of the 2 inside plants. I like to joke my chickens are pre-seasoned….
This pineapple mint needed a good pruning as it was running into the walkways, so I have a large bowl of that. I don’t know if the chickens will go for it. They aren’t fond of peppermint. But if they do, it will offer some green to keep the yolks orange in winter.
I dehydrate here because with the high humidity we’ve had these last few years, anything hung to dry would just mold. If I did succeed in drying it, it would not be dry enough to store in jars, as it would mold there. Storing in jars requires 5% moisture or less.