DH just bought some de-icer for the yard (salt and calcium chloride+ magnesium). Will it hurts the girls feet or tummies as they free range???
I am not educated in ice melting lore, so I couldn't tell you scientifically. BUT, I don't think that much salt and magnesium(!)would be good for them. If I was to hazard a guess, magnesium isn't good, and salt might (IDK) flavor your eggs in a negative fashion.
I would be fairly concerned that they would *eat* it, mistaking it for food or grit. Chickens do not handle big loads of salt real well, and it would not take much to cause illness or death. One safe way around it is to use chicken grit as "sand" spread on the icy walkways to give traction. It is fairly cheap, and in thaws can be swept up and reused if you wish, and quite obviously is totally harmless (actually beneficial) to chickens It has the advantage, over other kinds of sand/gravel you might use for traction, that it is pretty sharp (good traction) and is WHITE so rather than just melting its way down and disappearing into the ice the moment the sun comes out, it stays on the surface where it is useful for a good long time. Good luck, have fun, Pat
