Peppermint

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) has been used in traditional folk medicines since ancient times, as a remedy for several conditions and illnesses. Specific use relating to poultry include:

• Insect repellent: Peppermint is used against endoparasites in poultry in British Columbia. The oil has larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquegaasiatus mosquitoes.
• Egg Quality: The addition of dry or fresh peppermint leaves to the diet of laying hens has been proven to significantly increase egg weight, egg production, egg mass, and feed intake.
• Anticoccidial: Peppermint oil was found to be somewhat effective at reducing the number of Eimeria spp. which cause coccidiosis in chickens.
• Antiviral: Peppermint oil has also shown to be of benefit against Newcastle disease in chickens.

Summary of Peppermint-related Research in Poultry

Form	Species	Amount	Time period	Results	Ref
Essential oil	Laying Hens		42 days	diet Supplementation by combined form of PEO and TEO could have beneficial effects on performance parameters of Laying hens reared under cold stress condition.	Mohsen et al., 2016
Dried Leaves	Laying hens	20 g/kg of diet	84 days	Significantly increased egg weight, egg production, egg mass and feed intake; Greater eggshell percentage, thickness and haugh unit	A Abdel-Wareth et al., 2014
Dried leaves	Broilers	0.20% of diet	42 days	Showed growth promoting efficacy during early stages of growth, but had increased abdominal fat pad when provided after 42 days of age.	N Ocak et al., 2008