Organic grub control

[mrkep]

Our yard has large dead grass areas caused by grubs, which apparently eat the roots. So we started to pull up the dead areas which exposed hundreds of grubs. At first my lovely wife was putting the grubs in a bucket and taking them to the chickens. When the areas got bigger, we got 2 chickens from the run and flopped them down in the bare spots and sat down to watch chicken TV .
After a while, they must have filled their tummies because they wandered off to eat grass and we had to bring 2 more to the feast. Now if I could train them to tear up just the dead grass.
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[Birdinhand]

they are wonderful at eating pests, but yes, unfortunately they destroy everything in the process... at least with the grubs, they create what sounds like colonies, so maybe some focussed fencing or tractor?

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed. I'd build a tractor, or put fencing around the grub infestations and turn the birds loose on them. You can buy a biological control. It's pricey, and depending on your location, you might have to apply it every year b/c they will die if it gets too cold. Gardens Alive sells nematodes. I don't know how effective it is and I'd do a lot of homework before investing in the nematodes. Some of that stuff promises a lot more than it delivers.

Or give up your monoculture grass lawn, and encourage other greens to move in. My lawn has a lot of dandelion, creeping charlie, white and purple clover, and plantain... not to mention all the other stuff that I don't know the name of. Green is green, and the lawn looks pretty good right after it's been mowed!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

One of my neighbors got the bright idea to get some Japanese beetle traps to protect his garden. Unfortunately these traps employ Japanese beetle sex hormones to lure in the beetles. He had so many Japanese beetles in his garden, all looking for love that I am surprised that they didn't eat his wooden tomato stakes right down to the ground.

Try to encourage "chick weed" & "hen bit" your birds will love you for it.