Q: I have a five acre front yard. The size of the yard makes it prohibitive to use store-bought fertilizers. I have a neighbor with chicken houses, so I let him spread chicken litter on the yard. Are there any drawbacks to using this? Aside from the smell, the stuff seems to be working great.

A: I see no reason chicken litter wouldn’t work fine. My father fertilized our pastures exclusively with hen manure for twenty years. You might want to have the manure tested for its nutrient content by your local Extension office (404-897-6261). You can then match the nutrients in the litter to the grass’s needs by reading http://tinyurl.com/7FUH7 (broken link)