Good chicken breed for scratching up the ground

[NickR49]

Hiya,

I'm looking for a chicken breed that is an aggressive scratcher.

I have a weed called Tradescantia fluminensis that is a very aggressive ground cover and hard to eradicate. I want to pen chickens into the area to be cleared and need a breed that will scratch up the roots and stop it from coming back.

I'd lean towards a breed that is a good egg layer but that's not essential.

cheers
Nick

 

[gamebirdsonly]

Games

 

[MeepBeep]

If you are going to 'pen' them over the area it really doesn't matter what breed they will strip he ground bare... But, Tradescantia fluminensis grows readily from clippings, so if the chickens flick one clipping outside the area it will just come back, same with any area outside the pen that will just spread right back...

If eradication of a weed is your goal, a higher concentration of Roundout works wonders even on Tradescantia fluminensis... Or you can cover the ground with black plastic and cook everything dead...

 

[Michael OShay]

If you are going to 'pen' them over the area it really doesn't matter what breed they will strip he ground bare... But, Tradescantia fluminensis grows readily from clippings, so if the chickens flick one clipping outside the area it will just come back, same with any area outside the pen that will just spread right back...

If eradication of a weed is your goal, a higher concentration of Roundout works wonders even on Tradescantia fluminensis... Or you can cover the ground with black plastic and cook everything dead...

Welcome to BYC! X2 on MeepBeep's advice. I don't think any breed or number of chickens is going to eradicate your Wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis) problem. It's likely going to require spraying it with a strong vegetation killer. Good luck on eradicating your Tradescantia fluminensis.

 

[NickR49]

Okay, thanks for the advice. I was hoping to avoid chemicals, but if it's what I've got to do to see it gone then I will.
cheers
Nick

 

[MeepBeep]

Okay, thanks for the advice. I was hoping to avoid chemicals, but if it's what I've got to do to see it gone then I will.
cheers
Nick

If you don't want to use chemicals do as I suggested with the plastic sheet, you just water the ground and then cover the ground with the plastic tightly, and let it bake under the summer sun for the next few months it will kill just about everything under it including, all vegetation, bacteria, pathogens and even many of the dormant seeds...

Google 'Soil Solarization' for more info