Lawn Fertilizer That's Safe For Chickens?

[Astrid]

I'm not sure where to post this so forgive me if this should be discussed elsewhere.

I have a small flock of 7 laying hens who have a very big run and are quite happy little ladies.

We live on an in-town lot, with neighbors on both sides in a neighborhood of old Victorians much like ours. We like to let our girls out in the evening for a little pecking and bug-wrangling, and they really look forward to their outings. However, my husband has been saying that he needs to put something on our lawn to make it at least look green--- we've neglected it for the past few years and it needs to be some help-- I'm not talking "house beautiful" but just somewhere in the range of looking more like a lawn and less like a scrubby weed-infested brown place. And no, we're not ChemLawn sort of people---- we hate that and would never do anything of that sort---- we just need something to help the poor lawn bulk up a bit.

I'm worried about putting anything down, because we do enjoy letting the hens out, and they love it too. Any ideas about what might be safe? If anything?

Thanks in advance!
Astrid

 

[teach1rusl]

We're looking into that as well. In the past, we've always used the little pellets that eventually dissolve. But they dissolve sooo gradually, who knows how long they'd be around for the girls to find and eat. So we're looking into liquid fertilizers that we can spray. I don't mind them being banned to the run for a few days, just not a few weeks. We're just going to see what products are available from places like Lowes or Home Depot...or maybe our local garden nursery.

 

[tammyd57]

Compost tea will work wonders for a lawn with no effects on the chickens at all.
If you don't have a compost pile, you can buy a sack at any garden store. I use a 5 gallon bucket, put a couple big handfuls of compost in a cheesecloth bag, tie the bag closed and drop in the water. Let it sit for a couple weeks, then use a cup or two of the tea in a garden sprayer to dilute it. It goes a long ways, and it's great for any plants,

 

[debbie.h]

The grass in the chicken yard, they free-range in a 1/2 acre area, is way greener than the grass on my side of the fence.

Their fertilizer is the best!

 

[patandchickens]

Uh, the most chicken-safe lawn fertilizer is definitely CHICKEN POO

Seriously!

If you want to use storeboughten lawn fertilizers, you can perfeclty well do it -- just apply it before a rain and don't let the chickens out til it is well rained in (i.e you can't see the granules anymore -- usually 1/2" of rain will achieve this).

Manual weeding and aerating are likely to make a big difference, too, for the lawn's health -- and you can chuck the weeds to the chickens, to make more chicken poo (fertilizer) <g>

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[hlinfl]

I know this is an old post, but I'm having lawn issues as well. It's become all dollar weeds and looks awful. Yes, we let our girls free range, and I'm sure their poo is great, but it doesn't discount that we still have more weeds than grass. Is their any recommendations other than chicken poop I can use on my lawn to replenish the grass and get rid of the dollar weeds without hurting my girls?

Please and thank you

 

[CrazyTalk]

I know this is an old post, but I'm having lawn issues as well. It's become all dollar weeds and looks awful. Yes, we let our girls free range, and I'm sure their poo is great, but it doesn't discount that we still have more weeds than grass. Is their any recommendations other than chicken poop I can use on my lawn to replenish the grass and get rid of the dollar weeds without hurting my girls?

Please and thank you

Most counties have extension offices that will do soil tests - if your pH is out of whack, or something else is wrong, you're never going to get grass to grow right - people jump to fertilizer, and its usually not the problem unless you're carting off your clippings (as trash, etc)

 

[birds4kids]

There is a fertilizer called "Coop poop" that is composted pelleted chicken poop if you need more than your girls provide.

 

[Folly's place]

I agree about the soil testing so you can ID the actual problem, before adding anything. Also, is there too much shade? Mulched shrub beds are so nice, and there are alternatives to grass, depending on your space. Spreading a thin layer of chicken bedding is good. Mary

 

[gator75]

I have a very expensive new beautiful lawn. I plan on keeping it that way and have a lawn service that does chemical treatments. I was worried about my hens free ranging in it. He said he has many clients who have had hens for years that free range on treated lawns. I sprinkle it in heavily and even wait for a real hard drenching rain after treatment before I let them on it. No adverse affects yet and I'm not too worried about it. They don't eat much grass anyway. I have plenty of good forage plant near their run and they mostly dig for worms in the beds and shrubs (which aren't treated)