Bermuda Grass conundrum

Bermuda grass infestation is in the front yard where I had started a greywater orchard last year, when we purchased the .8 acre farm. I have removed some of the baby trees and bushes due to the fact that they're being strangled. Seems that that no matter how deep i go, there's still more runners! Now there's a big muddy hole... What a mess. Where to go from here?

Maybe replace infested soil with fresh fill dirt and compost... but for how long before it is all re-infested?

Seriously considering moving all 27 chickens up here full time. Can they help? Pigs are popular on Permies, but in the front yard?
-Peter

You have created a fertilized pasture in your front yard, and you're getting the species that are adapted to the environment.
These kinds of pastures tend to be low in species count and high in productivity, so using animals to feed on it isn't a bad idea.

Perhaps start a food forest there and slowly shade it out? I also like the animal idea.

I've been fighting bermuda grass for a few years now. If you're pulling/digging it out you have to go through the area with a fine tooth comb. Any tiny segment will start a new area and it takes a long time. I have had success with digging small beds and removing every bit I can find. I'll spend about 2 to 3 hours on a 5X5 section though. Over the next two years you just get the shovel out anytime you see a sprout and eventually you will have it all out of there. But like I said it takes a ton of time, however you can do this around all your trees to help them survive.

The shading might just work. We don't have bermuda grass in our shaded areas. So maybe picking it out little by little around the trees will help them to grow enough to shade it out. Either way I hate bermuda grass with a passion and I definitely feel your pain. My advice to anyone purchasing a home or property would be to drive past anything with even a hint of it. The time is just not worth it.

Sheep pull plants out by the roots maybe you should borrow one and see if it works.

I was fighting it this afternoon.
I've been prepping beds, 4'x50'. Covering with some combination of leaves, leaf mold, compost, grass clippings, branches, and trash bags full of pilfered leaves. The stuff grows right through the compost. It stands no chance with the trash bags, but soon after removal the grass pops right up. It creeps through the branches. I'm having the best results with leaves and leaf mold used as a mulch about 4" deep. Over time the grass will come through.

I got me one of these

It's a mattock, mattock hoe, mattock pick, mattock and fork, call it what you like.
Swing it in hard and deep, pull it to you. Bermuda grass pulls right out. Eat a hardy breakfast.

For small spaces this tools does a fine job. You may have to root around a bit to get the roots out, but it will knock down the grass for quite some time. The grass will creep back in if you don't have sides to your beds, and these sides will need to penetrate the soil a good 6 inches or the roots will simply grow under then back up. I've used 12"x12" ceramic floor tile with good results. As an added measure, use the mattock to tear up the perimeter of the area every few months to rip out new shoots. Keep it mulched, you can keep it under control.