Grass and Plants for Run

my experience with the chicken tractors i have was that it takes a good 3 weeks for grass to grow back in an area where the tractors sat for more than 3 days. it would grow back in about 10 days if the tractor was only in one spot for a day. i think the difference is whether the hens simply nip the tops off the plants, or if they really start scratching things up and eating most of the plants. in my experience, a run which has already lost it's greenbelt won't recover in just a few days.

i'll get photos of the chunnel and the "hen frame" (like a cold-frame, but this one protects plants against hens instead of the cold) this weekend. i had to put one of my dogs to sleep today (the one in the avatar) and just don't feel like doing much.
 
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I like the idea of potted plants that you take away from them when the plants can still recuperate. Otherwise, my daughter and I give the chickies lots of "salad"...weeds, fading pansy and petunia flowers from my good plants, actual lettuce from our unfinished salads, and yesterday I gave them half a zucchini cut lengthwise. And they've gone out in a little makeshift tractor every now and then, but I'm not sure we'll keep doing that when they are full grown.

I like the idea of the 2 x 6's, screen and plants growing under it. Sounds great to me!
 
Yes, I think it's a given that the chicken run will be reduced to dirt, and stay that way. So don't stress - this is just how it's going to be!

This weekend at the Tour de Coops I saw one run with a large flower box that would be replanted as needed. I think I'll incorporate that idea into my run.
 

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