On Mar 3, 7:56*pm, "Dioclese" NONE wrote:
Have last year's raised garden overrun with Bermuda grass. *Couldn't keep up
with it for weeding. *I remember the chicken coop and fenced in area around
it many years ago growing up. *The chickens kept everything preened, no
green could grow. *My plan is to spread that soil out some and put a chicken
coop and fenced open area for the chickens. *Adjacent to it, I plan to start
another raised area with store bought soil with chicken feces and green
kitchen refuse to lay for a year or 2.

Central TX. *High alkaline soil (mostly, if not all, limestone rocks and
caliche). *Poor rainfall. *High summer temps bleeding over to fall. *Native
ashe juniper leaf-fall affects all plant growth rate from rain run-off.

My intent is to eventually create a self sustaining adjacent garden to feed
the chickens and me. *Rotating every 3 years, garden for chicken area.
Possibly, the coop on skids to ease the move.

Best grain to plant to support the chickens with least square footage
impact?

I can create shade if needed over the fallow field. *Should I use a soaker
hose or just water it down once in awhile?

Please, no oil-based fertilizer suggestions.
--
Dave

when you say fallow field, do you mean where the chickens are doing
their job? so you wouldn't need weed control, but i'd wonder about
whether they'd peck holes in soaker hose. otherwise, i recommend
soaker hose highly. not only water efficient, but you can leave it
there when it's the garden side, and use plastic mulch over top with
holes punched in for your plants; this keeps weeds down hugely. i know
the plastic mulch is oil-based, but it's not as much of an ongoing
impact as the artificial frertilizer.