Your plants are not going to care about where their NPK comes from. I use Miracle Gro (generic brand). I use granular fertilizer. I use compost, I do BTE gardening, hay bale gardening, and have every intention of playing around with hydroponics and aquaponics. If a plant needs nutrients, I give it nutrients. While the preference would be to use compost and chicken manure to meet all plant fertility needs, I am more than willing to use a liquid or granular product.
I never leave liquid fertilizer where my birds can access it. If working with a liquid fertilizer where they can access it, I do a foliar and soil application, wait a few minutes, then do a water rinse. I keep them blocked away from my garden during the growing season.
But, they do scratch around in my orchard, and if they get a few grains of granular fertilizer, I don't get too worried. I do try to apply the fertilizer before a heavy rain is expected, and then scratch it into the wood chips so it won't be a chicken magnet.
OP asked about fertilizer on the lawn: if you have chicken bombs on your lawn, I highly doubt that you would need any bagged fertilizer!!!
While we are on the subject of materials that your chickens may ingest from your yard: other considerations: herbicides (I simply refuse to use any in my yard). Fungicides (would only use for a specific application for a specific plant and then follow the manufacturer's directions explicitly. I would see if there is a natural product available before purchasing a marketed fungicide. Salt: I have heard of chickens dying from salt poisoning when they ingest salt from icy sidewalks during the winter months. I'd also be cautious about calcium chloride, or other ice and snow treatments.
I never leave liquid fertilizer where my birds can access it. If working with a liquid fertilizer where they can access it, I do a foliar and soil application, wait a few minutes, then do a water rinse. I keep them blocked away from my garden during the growing season.
But, they do scratch around in my orchard, and if they get a few grains of granular fertilizer, I don't get too worried. I do try to apply the fertilizer before a heavy rain is expected, and then scratch it into the wood chips so it won't be a chicken magnet.
OP asked about fertilizer on the lawn: if you have chicken bombs on your lawn, I highly doubt that you would need any bagged fertilizer!!!
While we are on the subject of materials that your chickens may ingest from your yard: other considerations: herbicides (I simply refuse to use any in my yard). Fungicides (would only use for a specific application for a specific plant and then follow the manufacturer's directions explicitly. I would see if there is a natural product available before purchasing a marketed fungicide. Salt: I have heard of chickens dying from salt poisoning when they ingest salt from icy sidewalks during the winter months. I'd also be cautious about calcium chloride, or other ice and snow treatments.
