Diseased Grass -- WHY?

[Bill Brier]

Hi, My two four-year-old chickens live in Southern California, in an area that includes 100 sq ft of fescue sod. In time, the grass always dies. Death may occur in a week, or the grass may remain healthy for as long as two months. When death occurs, I replace the sod and start over. (The dead grass looks like straw.) New problem: Four months ago I planted the same fescue sod in my regular yard, an area that starts 20 feet away from the chicken pen. After four months of thick, healthy green grass, it began dying in patches --- zoom, in a week, from one end to the other it looked like my chicken grass when in the throws of dying. It appears to be caused by a fungus, but the fungicide I used did not work (I never put that on the chicken grass), and the dead patches, that are now covering 80% of the area, looks and feels like straw. I expect that in another week my lawn will be a total goner. I'm afraid to re-sod for fear of the same problem recurring. And doing so ain't cheap. Any Ideas? Could the chickens be causing this? Whatever 'this' is. Or??? Thanks, much, bill brier P.S. I've shown pictures to the Master Gardeners of Ventura County, and they agree that it looks like a fungus problem, but they didn't know the cause -- or the cure. ----------------- billbrier.com

[Fiona MItchell]

Bill - I very much doubt the chickens are causing the problem. 

Have you had your soil tested? The soil you lay the sod on? That is always a good place to start. And the cheapest. Your local extension agency should be able to provide you with a soil testing kit that you send to a lab for analysis. 

Fiona Mitchell

(914) 261-4986

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