Alternatives to grass - Fleur de Lawn ok for chickens?

[Roscopeco]

I decided not to plant traditional grass in my back yard as it's a monoculture and doesn't do really do much for the environment. On top of that it requires a lot of water and fertilizer to keep up, which is costly. So, in my search for a lawn alternative I came across this product http://www.protimelawnseed.com/products/fleur-de-lawn . Apparently it is supposed to mimic an English meadow. It looks pretty in the pictures and contains clover, which I know is great for the soil and good for the birds too so it seems to be the most promising answer thus far.

I have a few questions that perhaps you may have answers to:

Does anyone here have any experience with Fleur de Lawn?
Should I be concerned with the chickens eating any of those plants?
Is there another lawn alternative any of you would suggest?

Thank you in advance for your input on this topic. I think its an important one considering how many people are interested in tearing out their lawns these days.

 

[Mattemma]

My kind of lawn,especially that last picture with the flowers.I would look for a poisonous plant list.I throw flax,wheat,rye,oat,and regular grass seed all over.No issues yet.

 

[Roscopeco]

I have found this video of an eco-lawn as well. Seems like ok stuff too

 

[Daisy8s]

I have Sweet Alyssum, Yarrow, and Daisies in my garden (full-sized varieties, though, not dwarf). I can't say I've directly seen any of my chickens eating from these plants, but I can also testify that nobody has died, either, so I'd classify them as safe from my experience.

This product looks nice--the fact that everything is dwarf sized will be nice for strolling around. If it's expensive you could look at some basic ground covers. Johnny's Seeds has ground covers labeled as "green manures". Look carefully, though, as some of the plants in the mix may die out after frost etc.

Good luck--let us know how it works if you do use it.

I tore out most of my front yard and put in several raised beds. Love gardening out there instead of mowing!

 

[SweetSilver]

What are the "dwarf-sized grasses"? And what percentage of the mix are they? Do any have runners? (There will always be cheap fillers in seed mixes).

English daisy does not seem to germinate just wherever (a stunner, I know). I have tried so many times to get it started in my lawn with no success. It grows where the soil is crappy and compacted (like parks) where the competition is beat down (like from geese grazing, shade or just compacted soil, etc.)

How much do you want to keep this lawn out of your garden beds? Strawberry clover can be aggressive.

If it doesn't have enough grass in the mix, how pleasant is is to step on? Yarrow is rough and bristly compared to soft, cool grass.

Lawns get walked on. What will this lawn look like with the level of traffic you are going to put on it?

How tolerant are you of weeds getting in the lawn? (Strawberry clover and yarrow, if they do well, will make it more difficult to rid the lawn of weeds if that's a priority.)

How much work do you need to put into the area before sowing the seeds? How much preparation will you give it? Do you mind if the old lawn grows back up through? If you intend to walk on it, it needs to be prepared just like a bed for a lawn, with soil to level, roll with a roller to compact just enough so you don't get divots.

Chickens will like the grass and clover, but not the other plants necessarily. Why not just plant a grass mix with dutch clover? Is it primarily for the birds, or primarily for you?

All these are question to be sure you know the answer to before buying.

I'm always a bit wary of this mixes (which doesn't mean anything about their quality-- I just have to see it over several years to form an opinion). I don't know where people get the idea that lawns *have* to be monoculture and have to be watered (outside of desert areas and other places where lawns *will* die completely without water.) Ours has several kinds of grasses, dandelions, moss, plantain, clover, etc. (I introduced some creeping veronica into the front lawn, as well as tomeysiana (sp?) crocus. Chickens love our lawn. We don't water (we also don't live in a desert.) Also, lawns (my idea of lawns) are really the very best groundcover if foot traffic is heavy. Nothing beats it for softness and toughness alike. Grass seed mixes can tolerate shade and sun. And they do fine in most areas without water--if you can tolerate a season of brown (I will say that watering does help the lawn compete against some weeds.)

It's too bad that weed-killer-wielding lawn mower maniacs have changed the definition of "lawn" so much.

 

[Vivnista]

In England daisy's are like weeds, we mow them down!
My chickens have ruined my lawn, it's basically just dirt and as we have much rain, it's now a mudbath . Any suggestions?