Weed and Feed?

[The Tinman]

But the chickens will eat the leaves

 

[64eggless1964]

get 2 pigs to eat the dandelions or pick the leaves and make a salad and the flowers make wine.

who cares if the dandelions are there.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

There are some chemical free methods that will help control them. It it is not an overnight thing though. Improve your soil, aerate the sod, overseed on a regular basis, don't mow too low.

In reading the different lawn care forums I've noticed Canada (or parts of Canada?) has banned herbicides and pesticides for lawn use. Here is an article from there on natural control:

http://www.markham.ca/NR/rdonlyres/166C7D2A-21BE-4BD6-8B69-6F3DA4B474A8/0/dandelion_facts09.pdf

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
I do.

 

[Saltysteele]

if you spray the weed, it doesn't just disappear, it goes back to the ground.

also, if you spray your whole yard where the chickens have access, they will eat the grass and weeds that you just sprayed - eating the weed killer

i don't have anything against spraying your yard or using weed and feed; i use them. i don't let my chickens in that part of the yard, though. their part of the yard has weeds, and i don't treat that area (they've got a large area of grass, plus an acre and a half of new pasture, they don't make the trek to the front of the house.

also, the grass that doesn't die, as it won't kill the grass, will contain residual. for instance, the bifen IT i spray on my house for bees, ants and spider has a residual period of 3 months. it is encapsulated and releases over a long period.

some herbicides do the same. so, by letting them eat the grass, you'd be letting them eat the herbicide

 

[AnaD]

What?!? You'd poison your yard full of salad greens???? Just harvest and eat

 

[Momagain1]

haha..mine snub their noses at dandelions and go straight for my hostas..grrr..they ate THREE huge hostas within 15 min down to the roots..I was NOT HAPPY...

then they started on the lillies...double grrrrrrrrrrr...not like they could have eaten ANYWHERE else on our property but noooo they had to go to the corner and clean it out..

they WILL NOT eat dandelions..but love the clovers...

 

[nurseshelly]

Quote:
If you have a smaller area of weeds to kill, you can also pour boiling water over them. Even quicker than vinegar

Honestly mine eat weeds down to nothing so fast I can't keep any on "their" side of the fence - LOL! I also pull them and give them to the chickens or the tortoises. Oh, a bigger tortoise will eat every bit of green too (like a sulcata).

 

[Schroeder]

I'm all for limiting the use of chemicals whenever possible, but I am skeptical of the dire consequences being expressed here by many. I'd like to here from someone who has specific knowledge of the chemical compounds in Weed-B-Gone, etc. and what the perceived residual impact is on poultry (& livestock).

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
Thank you Schroeder... I was feeling a bit alone and like a bad chicken mom.