Scotts weed and feed-Ugh!

[amiatx]

Hi folks,
I'm getting 5 mature hens next week and my sweet neighbor thought it would be a nice surprise to cut my grass and put down Scotts weed and feed. My yard has always organic and now I can smell the chemicals every time I walk outside. Any advice on how to keep the hens safe? Should I house them somewhere else until the poison is gone? I don't want to stress them out too much but I also don't want them getting sick just by being in the yard. Help!
Thanks in advance,
Ami

 

[cnicho05]

Hello,

I would absolutely keep your hens in another area of your yard for at least several weeks. The chemicals placed on your grass will remain for several weeks until it is fully absorbed by the soil in your yard. Since your hens will defiantly consume grass, weeds and soil particles they will be at rick. If you know that an area of your yard went untreated you might be able to use it...if the area is away from the treated section of your lawn.

If you don't have an untreated section of your lawn you can do several things to advance the cleanup process. Firstly, allow the yard to dry fully and the chemical to evaporate as much as possible. Next, water the area liberally for 15 minutes daily. This will wash away any excess chemical which will then evaporate. Lastly, cut your grass to expel any portions of the grass which have absorbed any chemicals.

Until you are curtain the chemical is off the top of your soil you should not place your hens within this area. If needed, you can contact the company who produces the chemical to get their input. They might have a more concrete timeline to focus on...

P.S. Other discussion threads about this topic will tell you that a few days are okay. They site the fact that pets are allowed back onto the area after it has dried. Chickens, unlike dogs, will consume grass and weeds and are more susceptible to chemicals...

 

[gander007]

Alright

great to have you joining the BYC flock

Oh wow I would keep the chickens off the grass and use plenty
of water to try and dilute the chemicals and tell your helpful
friend to not help so much unless they are only trying to get
rid of your poultry for you .....

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

X3 do not let your birds feed on this grass. The weed killer will break down eventually, although I am not sure about the "feed" part on the grass. So try your best to keep your birds on your side of the fence or yard. You may need to put up some poultry netting between the two properties to help deter your birds from wanting to head over there.

Good luck with this and welcome to our flock!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X4, Time to water the heck out of the lawn, and keep the birds off for now... you might see if you can find out which specific one they used and the ingredients.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Welcome to BYC.

Glad you joined us!

 

[amiatx]

Thank you all so much for the great feedback! I have called the current owner and we are going to keep the hens at his place until I can flood my yard. I am just starting my backyard chicken journey and so happy to have this forum for help and advice!
Ami

 

[amiatx]

In his defense, he was TRYING to be nice. The yard did need mowing but I have never used chemicals on it (hence the weeds ). I know no good deed goes unpunished and I don't currently have hens so.........Thanks for the great advise. I'm off to save my lawn.
Ami