Chicken-safe weedkiller - is there such a thing?

[Curlykale]

We have a large "gravel garden" which started off as weed membrane covered with gravel with a few ornamental grasses dotted about, but which is now a mass of overgrown grasses and weeds, which hide most of the gravel which is buried beneath it all somewhere.

I started to clear it with the intention of removing the gravel, taking up and replacing the weed fabric, then replacing the gravel, but after spending a whole afternoon clearing an absolutely TINY area, have decided that is not a realistic option.

I was considering spraying the weeds with glyphosate as it now needs drastic action.

The problem is we are hoping to get some chickens in 2 - 3 weeks time which we intend to let free-range around the garden in the evenings and at weekends. (As well as the gravel garden we also have a lawn area and a large area full of shrubs mulched with weed fabric and decorative bark for them to explore, but it wouldn't be possible to fence off the gravel area).

Can anyone advise me whether there is anything we can use to kill the weeds which is safe to chickens - obviously we don't want to poison them My neighbour said that the chickens would clear the weeds for me, but I can't see them tackling that amount of greenery!

I'm very grateful for any advice x

[VirginVegGrower]

Believe me hens will clear anything - you won't need to spray. Safe weed killer? Misnomer in reality. It's spray and keep hens off or don't spray and let them loose.

[RedThorn]

Agree with VVG, put the chooks on it and hey presto no more weeds in a surprisingly short space in time

[Two_Sheds]

I use boiling water or salt for the weeds in my paving cracks: might be too big a job for you though

[OverWyreGrower]

The chickens will clear pretty much anything bar nettles... plus probably anything they can find which you don't want them to eat....

[Newtothis]

Yep - I have three gardening 'assistants' too.....they are great at clearing stuff.
We are as weed free now as we've ever been.

'to work in the garden
is ever such fun -
with chickens to help you
to get the work done!'

[Curlykale]

Fantastic - just what I wanted to hear! (TS, yes unfortunately I've let it get way past the boiling water/salt stage). I didn't really want to use weedkiller, so the fact that the chickens will clear the weeds for me, while having a good time themselves, is a bonus. Thanks everyone

[RedThorn]

They even "helpfully" cleared out my rose bushes, all my perpetual spinach(which btw they absolutely looove), my brassicas, my carrots, dwarf beans, lower levels of my peas and and and all in a few hours when one we named houdini found a way through my netting and decided to share this with the others

[chris]

Great, I just bought a rose bush to go in their garden

That said though, they leave my gooseberry plants alone, and eat all the sawfly

[Snadger]

The chooks will clear weeds from gravel but the gravel will finish up in heaps and hollows!

[VirginVegGrower]

The gravel will rake back again. If you are to keep pets of any kind then you have to keep nasties out and not spray. My chooks go all over the beds and when I thought they were scratching and ripping up my cyclamen clump and my wild garlic, this year they have in fact naturalised both. I have larger clumps than ever I love hens - they are nature's hoovers.

[chris]

I'll have to take a photo of mine - excavating massive craters be the gate- I think they're trying to break free

[Curlykale]

I'll have to take a photo of mine - excavating massive craters be the gate- I think they're trying to break free

Ooh yes, let's have a look - give me an idea of what to expect!

I've just had a thought - are there any plants that are dangerous for chickens? We have about 200 -250 assorted shrubs/grasses/bulbs in the garden.

[VirginVegGrower]

There are but in the main I think they know if it's bad for them and leave it alone. Mine tend to go for dandelion leaves with the odd nibble at a herb or two, then it's back to following me around for corn or mealworms.
Richmond Hens will know.

[chris]

Well, apparently they tend to avoid poisonous plants. That said, mine have stripped potato, tomato and aubergine plants and still survived. No idea if they had upset stomaches or what not, but they didn't show any signs of being ill. Given the chance they'd eat all of those again.

There's a few threads about them.... I think though given such a selection they'll just go for their favourites