Fertilizing a Lawn with Chicken Safety in Mind

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Why, oh why would you want to fertilize your lawn. That just means you'ld have to mow it more!

 

[mdbokc]

I use this from from our PBS station. No problems...safe for dogs, cats, chickens, etc......

1 c regular Coca Cola (no diet) (thatch control)
1 c ammonia (use lemon scented if you want insect control)
1 c dishwashing soap (use lemon if you want insect control)
1 c antiseptic mouthwash (anti fungal)
1 can cheap beer (enzymes stimulate growth)
1 c liquid fertilizer

Mix in a container. Place this concoction in a 20 gallon hose end sprayer and apply until grass is wet. I use one batch over my 12,000 sq ft thin blade fescue front yard. I apply every few weeks all growing season. It has worked fine for us. Compliments of local PBS station.

I purchase most items very cheaply from the local Dollar Store.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

1 c regular Coca Cola (no diet) (thatch control)
1 c ammonia (use lemon scented if you want insect control)
1 c dishwashing soap (use lemon if you want insect control)
1 c antiseptic mouthwash (anti fungal)
1 can cheap beer (enzymes stimulate growth)
1 c liquid fertilizer

To really benefit plants, you have to supply the nutrients they need.

That is typically measured in POUNDS per acre, or pounds per 1000 sq ft

The small amount of material you're using doesn't contain enough of anything to provide any real benefits when spread over 12,000 sq ft

http://www.neuse.ncsu.edu/LawnCare.htm

Fertilizer Rates
A typical lawn feeding is 1 lb. of nitrogen per 1000 square feet.

Here are some common lawn fertilizer formulations and the amount of each needed for 1 lb. of nitrogen:

10-10-10, 10 lbs.

You'd need 120 lbs of 10-10-10 on your 12,000 sq ft lawn to apply ONE lb of actual nitrogen/1000 sq ft, and 3 times that much for your yearly total​

 

[Mac in Wisco]

What makes you think you have to fertilize a lawn? Ours grows fast enough as it is.

If you must, then there are pelletized poultry manures that are available that will spread with a drop spreader.

 

[hallerlake]

Overseed with clover. Clover is a nitrogen fixer. it fertilizes the lawn every time you mow, and chickens LOVE it.

 

[Yonaton]

The clover suggestion is a good one, as is what Bear Foot said. The birds will simply pick it up and tastes it since it's 'new' and they won't like it and that will be the last you have to worry about it. None of mine have died from it either, not even the wild ducks, heh.

 

[mdbokc]

Bear Foot,

My grass is green. The grass is thick enough that I do not have to deal with broadleaf weeds. So my yard is free from from weed killer, pesticide and insecticide applications. Been doing it for the last 15 years.

If it does start to look a little pale, I just apply more often. But every two weeks is the most often and that is short lived when necessary.

ETA - I went to this years ago after having multi-hundred dollar vet bills when my Yorkies would be poisoned by either normal chemical fertilizers, weed sprays or pesticide sprays. I shall never return to those methods of yard care.

120 lbs on 12,000 sq ft of yard...I would never consider using that much in a year even if I was using bagged fertilizer let alone 3x that amount. If you are using that type, you can reduce the mfg recommended dosage by half simply by adding a cup of Epsom salts to the mix before you apply. For me, I would consider using 10 pounds a year of bagged fertilizer from Wal-Mart at the most. Most people apply far more than is really needed. That's what my yard garden expert says and his results and methods bear that out.

 

[galanie]

The few times I've decided to fertilize the yard, I just spread compost on. I don't farm grass, if it's green and it's growing that's good enough for me. Doesn't have to look like a carpet, just has to be there and outgrow the weeds, which it does nicely long as I keep it cut. Regular cutting is more important than many people realize, especially in the south where the grass "creeps" and doesn't just grow as individual plants.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Just put the chickens in a tractor, move it about the lawn, lawn is fetilized, chickens safe.

The idea of putting hundreds of dollars of chemical fertilizer on a lawn so it grows faster and needs more cutting is lost on this redneck farmer.

 

[SueBaby]

Quote:
Why, oh why would you want to fertilize your lawn. That just means you'ld have to mow it more!

Yes, I am a chicken/egg farmer

but I'm also a suburban resident with 3 kids that play soccer, baseball, tag, frisbee, you name it- on my lawn. We have cut back on about 1/3 of the area in our yard that used to be grass to save water, but we still have a front lawn and a big green plot in the middle in back. Here in So. Cal fertilizing is a must. I tried going without once and the weeds took over like crazy. Then the weeds go brown and it looks really bad. Frequent mowing and mulching of the clippings helps, but we still need to fertilize twice a year.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. It's been food for thought.