Unhealthy chicken poop in the yard

[Semper Fi]

i have had my 5 dominques for about 19 weeks now and they just started laying their practice eggs

. Well i have been letting them out of the coop and letting them free range as much as they can, saves on feed and they get great exercise . I have about 3 acres of land with only 1 neighbor that is 50 yards away and i have woods all around me. My chickens like to spend most of their time in the woods scratching the leaves looking bugs but now they have been interested in the lawn and areas where there are tall grasses. Well my dad is getting angry at me because he is saying there is chicken poop everywhere (there reall isnt that much) but he is saying it will stay there forever and is gonna be unhealthy and start to smell. Anywhose longstory short, should i still let my chickens roam or limit them to a certain amount of time out free ranging or will it get decomposed into the lawn or the rain will wash it in and will be gone for good. by the way i have an outside run for them that is 20 feet by 7 feet but is all mostly dirt. Thank you.

 

[citychickx6]

I for one do think it will break down quickly. I do not see poo under my wild bird feeder and TONS of birds eat there everyday.
It may be to rich for the grass if there is a lot of it in any one spot though. I vote for keeping the peace and locking them up for a bit.

 

[teach1rusl]

It does break down pretty quickly, especially when you have a large area, as you've described. And especially with only five birds. Your dad may be getting upset if he's finding poop on the sidewalk, porch, deck, etc., so be sure to hose those areas ASAP. Maybe only freerange when you're available to monitor, and shoo them away from main areas to appease your dad. But the poo in my yard (we have a few acres fenced, but they have certain areas they prefer) seems to disappear really quickly.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

chicken poop is the best fertilizer,it dries quickly and does't smell, you could rake it up to keep dad happy, or find out what is really bugging him

 

[peepblessed]

All the above is good advice!

 

[Kudzu]

My dog takes care of any poop the chickens may leave, I see it as a win / win situation, the chickens are happy, the dog is happy and I am happy.

 

[citychickx6]

Quote:

 

[NottinghamChicks]

Chicken poop is one of the best fertilizers for a lawn. It dries up quickly and if there is rain shortly after the droppings are left they go away, melt right into the earth

No smell, healthy, organic fertilizer. On that note, if your dad does use chemicals on the lawn do not let your girls out for at least a week I would think. Those little pellets or granules are very tempting to them

 

[TDM]

Yes, pathogens are a big problem for free ranging flocks and must be managed properly. This is one argument for raising poultry in confinement.

http://www.worldpoultry.net/chicken...g-production-drops-from-brachyspira-7816.html

 

[Kaeta44]

My 8 chickens poop on my lawn every day and I have very lush, green grass. It's great fertiliser, disappears into the earth quickly and certainly doesn't smell. Hope you can convince your dad that the chickens are good for his lawn.

http://muckycluckers.blogspot.com/