Chickens & Lawn Care

[pickledpurls]

I was raised on a farm and have always had chickens until I married and moved to the city. For several years I have tried to talk my husband into getting some chickens finally this spring he agreed. We bought 5 Australorps and they are now 11 weeks old and they are a joy to me.

Here is the problem. My hubby was city born and bred. His joy is his lawn. I want the girls to free range in the back yard. He said that is fine but the lawn care company will still be coming every month to spray.

My question is if I coop up the girls for a week after the lawn is treated, will it still be ok for me to let them to free range?

Thanks!

 

[JacksFlock]

I wouldn't eat the birds or the eggs if my lawn was sprayed. What are they spraying for anyway? The chickens will take care of the bugs AND fertilize it for him.

 

[pickledpurls]

Spraying for fungus. We have been deluged with rain here in the south and the yards are all growing some kind of fungus.
I guess I will have to keep them in the coop/run, I was hoping the effect would wear off after a certain time.

 

[amberflea]

Find out from your lawn service what the chemicals contain they are spraying... get the MSDA sheet from them... then RESEARCH on-line regarding the chemicals... to bad you need to do that around your chickens at all... even the mist could possibly hurt their respiratory systems, as they have pretty small lungs.

 

[amberflea]

Find out from your lawn service what the chemicals contain they are spraying... get the MSDA sheet from them... then RESEARCH on-line regarding the chemicals... to bad you need to do that around your chickens at all... even the mist could possibly hurt their respiratory systems, as they have pretty small lungs.

*MSDS (material safety data sheet).

 

[heybarb]

We're in the south too and are having trouble with fungus in a little patch of grass that my husband tries to "tend." Of course, the chickens like his little patch a lot more than the other acre they could free range in! We were told that spreading cornmeal will kill fungus, but it's also safe for chickens...so far it's working pretty well...no dead patches of grass yet and the chickens are doing fine too.

 

[mondotomhead]

I just had Tru Green come and fertilize our lawn and do grub control. (We've been using them for years) They told us to keep children and pets off for 24 hours.

UGH! I couldn't let my chickens out last night and I couldn't look at them either as they were all bunched at the gate anticipating me opening it for them. I ended up going into the run with them and giving them treats for about 1/2 hour, then they headed to the coop to roost. I was actually happy that it was rainy and dismal.

 

[duckinnut]

We're in the south too and are having trouble with fungus in a little patch of grass that my husband tries to "tend." Of course, the chickens like his little patch a lot more than the other acre they could free range in! We were told that spreading cornmeal will kill fungus, but it's also safe for chickens...so far it's working pretty well...no dead patches of grass yet and the chickens are doing fine too.

Ummmm.....won't the chickens eat the cornmeal?

 

[pickledpurls]

So you have had no problems with them getting sick or eating of the eggs?

I tarped up our run this morning so that any "overspray" will not get to them. My husband will not let me try any organic solutions. This has caused some tension I can tell you that.

 

[heybarb]

They do eat some of it, but not all of it, and it's just ground up corn. Our chicks haven't started laying yet (still a few weeks away) but I would eat the eggs if they were laying...