My soon to be demolished yard...

[bubra007]

I apologize in advance, I wasn't sure where to post this. My backyard (where I let the chickens roam free range) is turning ugly. The grass is dying in patches everywhere...I'm guessing from chicken feces. I only have 9 chickens, I didn't think this would be a problem! Is there something I can do (save from locking the chickens up in the coop 24/7) to save my yard? Would using fertilizer help? What should I do?

Am I just an oddball for letting the chickens have the run of the whole backyard? I don't really want to build a special chicken "pen", I like being able to see them peck and run around as they please

 

[Chickenaddict]

There isn't much you can do for the lawn, fertalizers are bad news for chickens as well as children, There may be some sort of organic fertalizers out there that won't harm them but i'm sure they are a small fortune. My yard looked like a golf course when we moved in, 4 years later it's nothing but weeds and bald patches. I gave up a long time ago lol

 

[coffeelady3]

The only thing I can suggest is to find a way to restrict them to a certain part of the yard. Not so much a full 'run', but something simple.

 

[jenni2142]

I thought chicken poo was already the best fertilizer. If your chickens are anything like mine the grass is dieing from the eating and scratching. The only hope is to confine them to a specific area and then you could have most of your lawn looking pretty.

 

[Imp]

Can kind of depend on how much lawn to how many chickens. I have 3-5 hens free ranging in a backyard, about 7000 sf, with about 4000 sf of lawn. they cause no damage to the yard. The only time they caused damage to the lawn was when I had a birdfeeder in one spot. They scratched up the lawn below it.

Imp- The birdfeeder is now over dirt

 

[bubra007]

Hmmm...well the reason I think the grass is dying from the poop is because it is turning yellow in small circular patches. Maybe I do have too many chickens for our yard

We live in an older neighborhood on a pretty standard size yard (I don't know how big...bad with measurements!). I guess if I want it both ways I need to make a chicken enclosure maybe by the side of the yard and only let them out to eat/poop in the grass every few days.

I think I read somewhere that chicken poop IS good fertilizer, but it has to "cure" first....right out of the chicken it burns the grass. I am no expert thought, its just what I've read!

 

[Imp]

Some people compost the poop. Others hose it in. I don't do anything with the chicken poop. It either gets mowed up, or washed in by the rain. (Seattle Area) I do have some dead brown spots in the lawn but that's caused by cat poop.

Imp-4 hens 6-7 cats. Guess who's winning

 

[consdrs]

You need to find a happy balance. determine the level of yard destruction you are OK with. if you are OK with them destroying your grass, flowerbeds, garden and shrubs let em loose! but if you like having all of the above, flowers, grass etc, then they need a place of their own. I personally don't like chicken poo EVERYWHERE! it's amazing how much chickens poo.... My 9 hens have 1175 sf of my back yard and I get the rest. ahhhh the freedom to roam in my yard with the only occasional pile of somewhat large dog poop to side step. not the sneaky, small, everywhere chicken poo... hehhehe

Connie

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Really EVERYWHERE?

I think it's all on my deck! LOL.

 

[consdrs]

Quote:
Really EVERYWHERE?

I think it's all on my deck! LOL.

That's how I determined my level of "destruction and mayhem" I was willing to tolerate. They soon learned where the treat woman came from and where to wait for her:
MY BACK DOOR.

Now they are happy and so am I.

Connie