Weed and feed—and my backyard chickens.

[harrisville chicken]

For the past several years, I have not put any fertilizer or weed/feed compounds on our back lawn (where the hens run free) because my wife is worried about the chickens health. Well, three years later and the lawn is horrible looking.

I would like to get a weed and feed, do the lawn one night before a forecasted rain, water it in and let it rain. Hopefully that should dissolve it enough that the girls will be fine.

Anyone here have input, suggestions, etc.?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I haven't used any, so I can't really advise you but if they find little bits of it they may think it is a treat and eat it.

You may want to give it some time and keep them locked up for awhile in their run.

 

[LPeaslee]

I put straight fertilizer around my trees, my wife unknowing let the ckickens out to free range around the yard. You guessed it, they ate the fertilizer, luckily no signs of trouble. I did read that you shouldn't keep any of the eggs for several days, and about two weeks for weed and feed.

 

[Spangled]

Any input?

Our lawn looks horrible. I don't mind much because I don't want my chickens eating any herbicide residue, and I can't imagine how all of it is gone in two weeks ... not when "organic" labeling requires that the land be herbicide-free for a few years before it can be labeled "organic." I also don't want us eating the herbicide residue in the eggs.

If I wanted a nice lawn, I would fence off a portion of it and never let the hens into it and fertilize and pesticide and herbicide it to my heart's content ... well, if I knew I was never going to need the land to grow a garden on.

I doubt any hens will die if you weed and feed before a big rain storm (or in a big rain storm) and then irrigate it like crazy for a while (a week?) before letting the hens back on it. It takes a long time for the cancer to set in from eating herbicides and fertilizers, so that's not much of a concern in the short term.

Are you sure there's not a way for the lawn to look great through an application of some sort of organic fertilizer coupled with some re-seeding by the wife and some weed removal by the wife? Maybe she would welcome that type of compromise? Maybe not.

Let us know what happens!

 

[lazy gardener]

Can you post a pic of your lawn, or elaborate a bit more about what is bad about it? Is it sparse? Is it over run with weeds? Are there a lot of brown spots? What growing zone are you in? How high is the mower set? do you us a bagger? Do you mow often, or let it get a bit on the tall side before mowing? Some of the answers to these questions may give us a bit of info to help you problem solve for a treatment other than herbicides.

 

[lazy gardener]

Can you post a pic of your lawn, or elaborate a bit more about what is bad about it? Is it sparse? Is it over run with weeds? Are there a lot of brown spots? What growing zone are you in? How high is the mower set? do you us a bagger? Do you mow often, or let it get a bit on the tall side before mowing? Some of the answers to these questions may give us a bit of info to help you problem solve for a treatment other than herbicides.

Also, what is your soil like????? How dry does it get in the summer, do you ever water it???

 

[harrisville chicken]

Anyone?

 

[harrisville chicken]

Oops, I replied to the wrong post and I can't delete it.

 

[blues55]

I want to spot spray the lawn with a liquid weed and feed. No pellets of any kind. These are still young chick (3 weeks old), being raised at this point, in a climate controlled room inside my house. First: When do I start introducing them to the backyard? 2nd. How long do I have to wait after I spray the lawn. P.S. I intend to water the lawn well after use for a couple of days and they will only be outside the first time for an hour or two at most. Thank you. My first time raising chickens, and I do all I can to baby them. Proud first time parent.