Yard fertilizer harmful to chickens?

[rlkern]

My husband recently put down some fertilizer on our lawn. I'm hesitant to let the chickens out to free-range as these are little very small pellets. The package doesn't say the fertilizer is harmful to pets, etc. but it does say "harmful" if swallowed. Being the food hounds that chickens are and knowing that they'll want to taste and see if they find one of those pieces, I just don't want anything to hurt them.

 

[Fred's Hens]

If the fertilizer has weed killer in it, as in Weed 'N Feed, then I'd not let them out amidst that for a week and hope it rains a lot during that week.

If it is merely a 20-0-8 type general lawn food, it is fairly harmless to them. May sour them a bit, but unlikely to hurt them.

 

[rlkern]

It's a general turf fertilizer - 24-0-11 - phosphorus-nitrogen-potash (I think in that order) plust iron. Doesn't look like it has any weed control in it.

 

[rlkern]

Quote:
Okay, it's actuall nitrogen - phosphate (no phosphorus) - potash - in that order. And iron.

 

[rlkern]

I guess I'll let them out for a bit this evening. They get pretty intense around the run door when I head back there and I don't let them out!