Please help with yard ;)

[CluckyCharms]

Hi,

Our back yard is humongous...which is great. However - it is also a weed pit. I don't even know what is grass and what is weeds (can't tell the difference sometimes, as some weeds are grassy in nature). There is also about a 5 x 10 area that is sort grass/weeds/dirt/driveway gravel mixed. When the yard is mowed - it looks great! (but we know better as there are weeds everywhere).

I would really like some ideas on how to go about making our yard "chicken friendly" before the warm weather of 2013 arrives. I want to plant a bunch of perennial sort of plants that chickens enjoy too, please (but don't know what those would be). I would like some way of getting rid of the weeds without spraying ANY chemicals on the yard (it's been chemical free for a long time and I don't want our chickens eating that stuff). It also needs to be somewhat inexpensive as we are renting our home (by choice, we like to move around). Our landlords basically just cut us loose when we moved in and said "do whatever you want in the backyard". So I'd love to really spread my wings and make it a beautiful and welcoming home that any chicken would go crazy for.

- How tall does a fence have to be to ensure the chickens won't fly over it? They are all bantam (cottonballs) for now but we will have a leghorn and welsummer too.
- Anyone have plans for a steel fence? (my husband works with steel and has access to scrap metal and he's darn good with his hands so we just need plans)

Any HELP would be tremendously appreciated and I know all our newly hatching chickens and the four we already have would be forever in your debt as they enjoy their turf.


Thanks!

ps - really have no idea how to get rid of all these weeds. Also - do chickens eat boxelder bugs?

 

[Trefoil]

Many "weeds" are more nutritious and better liked by poultry than grass. The easiest way to tell and to clear land off is to fence it in. If the birds don't eat it, they either don't like it or its not good for them. As long as they aren't starving, I don't think they will eat something that is bad for them.

 

[1Teacherchick]

I only know of two ways to kill weeds without chemicals. No water for an extended time, or dig them up the old fashioned way with a hoe or a shovel. If you live in the NV or AZ desert, you could try the no water thing. Otherwise, I guess you could try a roto-tiller or hiring a teenager.

 

[CluckyCharms]

Thanks both =) We do have a fence around the entire backyard, but it's only a 4' high chain link fence and it's pretty unsightly (would rather have a 6 foot fence). I really didn't know that chickens could eat weeds aside from dandelions...so I'll look into that. ty! Although, hiring a teenager sounded like a good idea, too. lol I'll look into what weeds are back there somehow, and go from there.

Thanks