Poison Ivy around Coop

[sunrise.superman]

Was just gonna post to borrow a goat or 3. They'll devour the poison ivy right down to the ground, even yank some out for ya, and you'll just be left w digging out the roots. My former neighbors had a pretty bad patches of the stuff on their property. They tested various chemicals and sprays on one section and nothing worked so I loaned em some of my goats for the nonsprayed sections. Gone in a weekend down to the ground and my goats were happy.

 

[sealer39]

Personally I would read the label on RoundUp and if it is not harmful to pets I would use that. It does a good job on poison ivy. If your still worried about the chickens, put some chicken wire around the sprayed area. Look for a nearby tree and make sure you don’t have a large vine growing up it. If so, cut the vine with an ax. The main thing I would worry about is if your chickens are scratching at the poison ivy and you pick up the chickens then you’ll get it.

 

[Cryss]

You might check out Crossbow. They say you can spray a pasture and the cows can be grazing on it the same day. Of course a cow is a little bigger than a chicken so I would definitely read the label. That being said, I would personally go the salt, vinegar and dish soap route. Enough salt in the ground and nothing will grow there for a few years, so keep that in mind too.

I've read you can just use vinegar, no salt needed. Haven't tried it yet.

 

[ValerieJ]

The salt helps dry out the plant and the dish soap helps hold the vinegar/salt mixture on the plant it is sprayed.

Everything in our lives are made of chemicals but some are more hazardous than others.

I have not had a problem when spot spraying with the grass growing back.

I want to spray it on weeds and grass that are growing under some trees, but I'm afraid of damaging the trees. It's a group of fir trees. Anyone know if the salt will harm them?

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

I don't get poison ivy much, even after working in it all day, so it bothers me much less than herbicides.

Be care full you do not sensitize yourself to it.

 

[aart]

I don't get poison ivy much, even after working in it all day

Famous last words.

Long ago husband claimed the same as he 'gallantly' cleared the cute neighbor girls' yard and gardens.
Well, there was some karma dealt soon after as he broke out so bad he had to go get prednisone.

I don't get it too bad either, but still have mucho respect for it...as in I don't touch it.

 

[slippednfell]

I have read somewhere a year or so ago that goats will devour poison ivy.

We have tons of it on our property but not up where we live and have fowl. I always kept that in mind though so if it spreads to up here, I knew what to use to get rid of it.

Don't know if they will pull up roots as they graze or not.

If you have a friend with goats, you may want to "borrow" a pair and see if they take care of this for you.

 

[so lucky]

the thing with poison ivy is that you have to get the chemical to the roots. Compost King's chemical that he uses has Trichlopyr in it, and that is what I have been told for years will kill poison ivy. It is sold singly as stump killer, as well.
If a person uses something like Round-up on it, it will kill off the leaves, but only temporarily because the roots are still alive.
To be safe, if your chickens visit the area, I think I would use that old spare chicken wire to cover the sprayed areas, and leave it there till the tops have died back. This would help keep kids and pets off the sprayed areas, too.
I once bought a goat to clear out an abandoned railroad right of way. It was an inpenetrable mess of poison ivy, briars and saplings. Worked pretty good but the goat gave me a mild case of poison ivy on my hands.

 

[aart]

Was just gonna post to borrow a goat or 3. They'll devour the poison ivy right down to the ground, even yank some out for ya, and you'll just be left w digging out the roots. My former neighbors had a pretty bad patches of the stuff on their property. They tested various chemicals and sprays on one section and nothing worked so I loaned em some of my goats for the nonsprayed sections. Gone in a weekend down to the ground and my goats were happy.

Did it grow back...or too soon to tell?
Do you have any concerns about transfer of the urushiol to you or anywhere else?
Wonders if it comes thru in the 'wash'....like, are their pellets 'contaminated'?

 

[Ginmary]

I bought two hazmat suits, complete with hoods, for $10 each at HD a few days ago. Get the ones rated for insecticide applications, because that stuff is also oily, so should protect from poison ivy.
It's been too hot to wear one and work on the poison ivy though!
Mary

Great to know. I didn't know there were different kinds. I will definitely look for the insecticide one. Thanks