BirdaMay
In the Brooder
So I asked my landlords if I could raise chickens, and he said OK. I told him that they would be in the grass aerating and fertilizing the lawn.
They are still in the brooder box at 4 weeks, but yesterday I was going to take them outside with me into the grass to check it out.
Just before I went out, there was the landlord fertilizing the lawn!
That evening, the sprinklers were on, dissolving the fertilizer pellets.
But anyway, now the grass and the soil have dissolved fertilizer in them. How long do I have to wait until it's safe to let my chicks forage in the grass after the fertilizer was applied? Will the soil and grass be toxic to them even after dissolving, because the grass and soil have absorbed it?
I realize I might just have to let them not forage yet and acclimate to the coop before letting them forage in the grass while the grass resolves the problem (God willing, the landlord will stop fertilizing or keep a portion of the lawn clean for the chickens).
Any advice? I would really like to let my chicks play outside for a little bit even before they get transferred into the coop. At this point, they're tearing up the paper towel in the brooder (and eating some of it! But they have sand boxed in there, so they are also consuming grit for digestion).
They are still in the brooder box at 4 weeks, but yesterday I was going to take them outside with me into the grass to check it out.
Just before I went out, there was the landlord fertilizing the lawn!
That evening, the sprinklers were on, dissolving the fertilizer pellets.
But anyway, now the grass and the soil have dissolved fertilizer in them. How long do I have to wait until it's safe to let my chicks forage in the grass after the fertilizer was applied? Will the soil and grass be toxic to them even after dissolving, because the grass and soil have absorbed it?
I realize I might just have to let them not forage yet and acclimate to the coop before letting them forage in the grass while the grass resolves the problem (God willing, the landlord will stop fertilizing or keep a portion of the lawn clean for the chickens).
Any advice? I would really like to let my chicks play outside for a little bit even before they get transferred into the coop. At this point, they're tearing up the paper towel in the brooder (and eating some of it! But they have sand boxed in there, so they are also consuming grit for digestion).
