I’m like what? Can anyone suggest a good weedkiller that I can use in the area that my chooks free range? Your chickens, ducks and geese are likely to poo out the chemicals rather quickly. Their only desire is to make their lawn a lush, blemish-free, carpet of green. I will not waste my money or time trying that again any time soon. I on the other hand was not as concerned with a rogue dandelion or two. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  Who wants that for breakfast?! It says its poultry … Letting them have free reign in the garden both before the planting season and after the last harvest help to rid your garden of weed seeds. I hate to tell you this ,but I sprayed for weeds with the vinegar mixture & it did not kill the first weed that I could tell. Yes any grazing animal 1 year because it has not been tested yet for these animals!! What to feed them for optimal health and egg laying, including if you’re on a tight budget. I think you’d have to really douse the root with the vinegar mixture. Chickens are actually good weed-eaters in their own right, but a goat was built to eat weeds. Pesticides – including weed killers, fungicides, insecticides, and rodenticides – can be highly toxic to birds, both by directly poisoning them and by altering the ecosystem they depend on for survival. If you are unfamiliar with mites or are looking for a solid defense against … I guess the alternative is to use the normal stuff and then keep them in the run for a week or so … And with the right nutrition, chickens … Chicken friendly weedkiller? Vinegar is a chemical, salt is a chemical, glyphosate is a salt. Not to mention, it cuts down on feed costs! 44 Beautiful DIY Chicken Coop Plans You Can Actually Build, Beginner’s Guide to Raising Backyard Chickens, Chicken Nesting Boxes 101 and 13 Best DIY Plans, The Definitive Guide to Chicken Tractors and 13 Free DIY Plans, 10 Breeds of Chicken That Will Lay Lots of Eggs for You, 7 Reasons Why Your Chickens Stopped Laying Eggs. … Free ranging birds pooping directly on the lawn will burn your grass right up. What Exactly Is a Broody Hen and How to Stop It? It’s sometimes said that wilting plants are more appealing to animals, and so might increase the palatability of poisonous plants once they have been killed by a weedkiller. 1 Cup Salt They love to forage on the growths that no one else wants, so if you have space, add a goat to your farm or free range area if your local ordinances allow and watch them go to work. Plants are essentially poisoned by easily absorbable weed killers. Information from Monsanto suggests Roundup to be safe for use around bird such as chickens; however, you may still have doubts about using herbicides, especially if your chickens are free range. Weed killer, fertilizer & chickens (lawn, crabgrass, Fruit Trees, front yard) User Name: Remember Me: Password : Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and … Spray liberally on the foliage and roots of the weeds. Some wouldn’t give it a second thought as they dutifully apply fertilizer or weed killer. Organically maintained means your lawn is not chemically fertilized and chemical weed … If at all possible, avoid weed killers. In this case, consider using a more natural means of weed … Most garden centers also carry chicken poo if your large space requires a greater volume. ... Chicken manure is the active ingredient in Medina's Growin Green Lawn Fertilizer which sells at this site's Natural Organic Warehouse for $23.87/40lb bag or $15.00/lb of Nitrogen. I did find Richlawn Organic at Home Depot.  Sprays are easily applied and have a slightly higher degree of safety. Many slow-release products out there look like tasty seed scratch to a foraging bird. Pour the mixture into a garden sprayer. But when you share your garden with free ranging poultry there is a cause for concern. When treating our lawn we had to consider what the chickens may ingest. It has to be composted from what I’ve found out. The chickens and turkeys come in with me, always supervised. Unfortunately, any absorption could still prevent you from eating their eggs for a few weeks – especially if you value organic eggs. Same here! We avoid using any chemical weedkillers or herbicides on our property because we’re concerned about the health issues they may contribute to. Limited (supervised) time in the garden during the growing season also is beneficial for weed … The chickens can EAT the weeds if you want; if you use a reasonable rate, glyphosate, and the MANY companies that make it, is safe. My husband is a lawn guy…the greener the better. The chickens may eat some, but they will likely find other yummy things in your yard. Only a few weeds? Thanks for sharing your advice. Try opting for safer forms of herbicide other than pelleted versions. If we wouldn’t want to eat from a bag of herbicide laced lawn treatment, we shouldn’t want our birds ingesting it either. Most common yard weeds are perfectly safe for chickens to eat, as long as they haven’t been sprayed with any fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide, so … We were informed a year. Keep this in mind when locating the sun shelter in or near your lawn. Your email address will not be published. Jen: What is the half-life of the dangerous chemicals in your product for my chickens … Blade Height Chickens like a grazing height of 3” – 5”. In fact, their poo is high in nitrogen and it also contains potassium and phosphorus. Thank you for the response Alison. That couldn’t be good, This post is every thing I needed! Her puller can be used for various types of weeds, removing them by the root. I use my grandmother’s old dandelion puller. From bringing your chicks home for the first time to putting eggs on the table, we’ve got it all covered. Chris Clarke. If you don’t mind spot treating your weeds you can make safe treatments at home. Raising chickens in the garden comes with a sense of pride and the joy of sustainability. There is no better fertilizer for your lawn than what your birds are already producing. … Because Vinegar acidified the soil, you can treat it with Lime and continue to replant the area. Roundup Weedkiller is the Worlds best selling herbicide, used in gardens everywhere. No weedkiller on my yard since we purchased it 2 years ago. By Bonnie Jo Manion, Robert T. Ludlow Chickens and lawns are a good mix, only if your lawn is organically maintained and your chickens are well-managed with it. Chickens can eat all parts of the carrot including the greens, and can safely eat both raw and cooked carrots. For instance, you must battle mites in the coop. When will my yard be safe for the chickens to roam around in? Lawn fertilizer /weed killer Discussion in 'Emergencies, Illness, Meds & Cures' started by teresaquinn , Apr 17, 2013. 1 Gallon White Vinegar Rather than fertilizing with conventional fertilizers, put your chickens to work. However, those of us who have free ranging chickens must stop to consider the danger this may pose to our flock. The real threat comes into play when weed killers are used.  Not me. In 2009 BC (before chickens! It can be a little time consuming but it’s well worth keeping your birds happy and healthy. The best case scenario is to keep the birds completely off a treated area until after a couple of hard rains. Using commercial pesticides in your yard is generally considered safe as long as you follow the instructions on the label. Chris Clarke was KCET's Environment Editor until July 2017. How To Store Your Chickens’ Freshly Laid Eggs. To kill weeds with vinegar, first mix 1 gallon (4 liters) of white vinegar with 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of dish soap. Can Chickens Eat Carrot Leaves. Chickens will rest in this spot frequently enough to create a bare spot. Because it is so easily absorbed, this means anything your chickens eat, … Plants are essentially poisoned by easily absorbable weed killers. The Happy Chicken Coop - All Rights Reserved. Use Weed-Be-Gone, a safe & easy homemade weedkiller! After 3 weeks, I let the chickens back out (The mfg of the herbicide … Read here for tips on growing hens and chicks. How Long After Using Roundup Can Pets Be in the Yard?. LOL) I used "Path Clear" on my patio but although it says it is safe for use with pets … I CAN HONESTLY SAY, I HAND PULL WEEDS–AND IT’S A LOT OF WEEDS AND GRASSES, BUT I’M OUT THERE WITH “OUR GIRLS”–AND WHILE THEY PATROL FOR BUGS, QUITE OFTEN THEY ALL COME OVER TO CHECK ON WHAT I’M DOING–SO BETWEEN OUR DOGS AND CHICKENS I’M NEVER ALONE IN THE GARDEN!!!! Chickens … His last application was about two weeks ago. The dish soap will help the vinegar stick to the weeds. He is a veteran environmental journalist and natural history writer. Thankyou for this great information have bindi weed and chickens. Yes, chickens can eat carrot leaves. My Chicken … After a long snowy winter, spring is the season for getting your lawn back in order. I was thinking, the herbicide must damage the worms and grubs in the area. Alison O. I kept the chickens in a small 15×15 foot fenced in area to free range in while the herbicide decayed in the rest of the area. Or, rent a goat! (self.BackYardChickens) ... Is there such a thing as chicken safe weed & feed? They rejoice in eating dandelions and other pesky weeds. There is zero chemical impact with this method of weed control. The Ultimate Quail Feed Guide, so much recent publicity involving glyphosate, just settled a lawsuit for links to cancer, WHO classified it as “probably carcinogenic in humans”, eating the “perfect looking” vegetable and fruit, How To Tell A Rooster From A Hen (Is it a Boy or a Girl? Once the weeds have died, turn soil, discard roots and water the soil well. will try and find the type used … This is more of an issue for … Preen® weed and feed … It does totally burn up the grass on the edges but we don’t mind. … We have used this method for years to keep weeds off our path. The Preen® solution to garden weed control is keeping weed seeds from germinating and growing. Raising Goats – The Complete How To Guide, What Do Quails Eat? But I think I’ve finally got an answer. Can Roundup products kill birds? Roundup is a weed killer that kills the root of the plant so that weeds never … When we first moved into our new house the lawn had long been ignored. Glyphosate is not only an effective … Because it is so easily absorbed, this means anything your chickens eat, breathe or their feet touch has the potential to do organ damage. You could do this by fencing off the area or keeping the birds in their pen.  Ingested chemicals can effect bird health directly and toxins can easily pass from their bodies into the very eggs you eat! Skip herbicidal treatments of any kind. You can either allow your birds to free range over your lawn space or collect the poo directly from the coop. This is a … We now own chickens and I am not sure what to do. The Weed Killer Atrazine May Be Harming Your Health. They like the lambs quarters and the bugs.  Just allow them to dry 24-48 hours before letting your birds back into the area. My neighbors let their chickens go in everyone’s yard and my our lawns have been ruined. I personally don’t use this method as I pull my weeds where possible. And last but not least, chickens can be very effective weed control. Just remember, this type of weed killer isn’t selective. We use a hand pump sprayer and soak it, so you do have to exercise some patience…. Biosecurity for Backyard Chicken Keepers~Part 2, How To Keep Your Chickens Safe This Winter, 5 Ways to Cool your Chicken Coop this Summer, Farm Fresh Eggs: 7 Things to Tell Your Customers. When experiencing an overgrowth of stubborn weeds this may not be an option for you. Thanks for the tips. Chickens are super simple animals to raise, but there is a little more to it than that. ), Can Chickens Eat Avocados – The Answer Is Maybe, https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/how-to-identify-treat-and-prevent-chicken-lice/, Backyard Chickens: A Practical Handbook to Raising Chickens. The comments came most often from well-meaning people who still bemoan their mid-century farm chores, when chicken keeping was still part of basic rural survival—far different than what raising chickens … Thank you for letting myself and the readers know what you experienced. Hens and chicks are members of the Sempervivum group of succulent plants. 1 Tablespoon Liquid Dish Soap. It’s … Then the birds come through and eat them. Either way, this method of fertilizing is not dangerous to your flock. Lastly, if you have a little patience, chickens are great foragers. With larger spaces, consider spraying one section at a time. Why is it not on the bag ? In addition, we use organic products for raising our chickens…  Due to the fact we free range our birds they have freedom to go just about everywhere on the property. Both Roundup and Zero weed killers contain the active ingredient: Glyphosate. It will kill anything in the area where it is applied. I wondered if I was supposed to use the farm strength 35% or something. We never would have used this product! How to choose the perfect breed of chicken for you- including our top 5 beginner picks. not sure about chicken friendly weedkiller but i had the same sort of issue with the lawn ,,,grass seed and moss killer combined but managed to find a cat and dog friendly version. Fertilizers ingested in small amounts aren’t likely to result in permanent damage. Replied March 23, 2016, 3:01 PM EDT. Don’t get me wrong, I love a green lawn but not at the expense of my feathered friends. When we were expecting baby chicks, we received plenty of discouraging criticism.One was a warning that chickens would ruin our yard, second to the myth that chickens are dirty. The general Gallon Cup Tablespoon recipe is easy to make and much safer around animals. It's so close to the time that I plan on planting our garden. By having chickens in your garden, you can have an all-in-one solution for a natural weed killer, organic fertilizer, natural insecticide and lawn aerator. But the chickens … They are commonly called houseleeks and grow well indoors and out. Wish I would have read this sooner, my husband put down Scott’s weed and feed then called the number on the bag to ask how long to keep chickens off the treated area. Two articles in the Washington Post have examined the use of chemicals, or processing aids, in poultry processing plants.The first article explains that visibly contaminated chicken carcasses are being treated during regular poultry … So I will try the natural remedy and try to handpull them out. The real threat comes into play when weed killers are used. The Definitive List of Chicken Treats: What Can Chickens Eat?  To him, the dandelions and scraggly weeds had to go. A longer handled version of the one shown below. … Carrots are a great, healthy treat for chickens. Grass weed killers are not needed because Preen® keeps the seeds from sprouting. I pull weeds. Weeds are free, easy to pick and the chickens love them. To him, the herbicide must damage the worms and grubs in the yard? will! Hand was not as concerned with a rogue dandelion or two at home found out only desire is to and. 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My Chicken … raising chickens in the garden comes with a rogue or! Pose to our flock 5 beginner picks burn your grass right up use the farm strength 35 or!