Wanting to replant grass in run.

[Kidhenduckohmy]

So my run is all dirt.

Because of recent events, I no longer can free range my chickens. That means they are stuck in their all dirt run. The biggest part is maybe 20 x 30 and then the covered run is about 8 x 12. I am thinking about sectioning the back half off, planting grass and then giving them time in the grass.
But here is where I have a few questions. First...will this even work, or be worth it? Or will they still kill it if I'm a schedual, like one week on, one week off.
Second... if you rotate your runs, what is your schedual. How much time do you give them on the grass?

I am trying to make the run look better, and give my chickens a healthier diet.

Any plants/bushes that grow well in a run? I am zone 4.
I am also cutting my number of chickens to around 20.

On a side note...Has anyone ever felt discouraged about their chickens? I do love having them, but with bumble foot, scaley leg mites, lice, dog attacks and complaining neighbors...I am just, disheartened. And get this, one person who complained, lives in the next town, about 6 miles away. I just do not even know how to take that.

Thanks!

 

[Donna R Raybon]

Steep learning curve and yeah it hurts. Good news is you know how to prevent a lot of what has plagued you. It takes regular maintenance to keep flock free of lice/mites and parasites.

You can't fix stupid, sorry you have such an abundance of it with neighbors.

You can sow variety of things chickens like and then use two by four to make a wire frame to put over sections of yard so chickens can't scratch it into ground. How often you rotate will depend upon weather and time of year. If you have area of your yard you can make portable lightweight grazing pen and tunnels.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I just let my chickens kill the grass in the run and next year plant my vegetable garden there and
move the coop and run

.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

You might try growing fodder to give to them. I know many people who do and it also decreased feed bills. Search it on BYC. There is a thread on it.

 

[Kidhenduckohmy]

Hokum Coco.....I thought of this too, but there are trees in the run that I would have to cut down, and I think the trees are keeping the hawks out. Not to mention lots of shade. And my yard is small...no where else to put the run :/

 

[Kidhenduckohmy]

You might try growing fodder to give to them. I know many people who do and it also decreased feed bills. Search it on BYC. There is a thread on it.

I tried it..... I just kept growing mold. I was going to try adding a fan, but never got back to it. Maybe I should try again...