chickens and fertilizer

[hawk]

does anyone know what the effects are of chickens free ranging where fertilizer has just been put down? The fertilizer has nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulfer and a little iron. The granules are fairly good sized, will feed a lawn for 6 to 8 weeks. Any guidelined to keep chickens safe?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have not done it and I have no experience with it, but I personally would not let them at the lawn while the granules are still there. I have no doubt they will eat those pretty bright colored things and that they are not good for them. May even be fatal if they eat enough. Just my opinion.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

If you have chickens free ranging on the lawn do you still need fertilizer?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I wouldn't recommend free ranging the birds until after a good rain, but I once did it in the past. Wasn't thinking when I let the birds out after putting down fertilizer on the pasture. They didn't seem to eat any. Probably tastes bad. No harm seemed to have come of it.

I definitely would not let them range after putting down any kind of fertilizer that also contains herbicides or pesticides.

 

[hawk]

thanks for the reply and yes where I live and the type of grass we have here, chickens pooping little piles in the lawn is not what fertilizing a lawn means. Until chickens can poop phosphate, potash and sulfer in the right amounts and spread it around evenly, bluegrass is not getting all the nutrients needs to be healthy.