Sod OK?

[carladababe]

I have an enclosed 8'x10' run to which I plan on putting sand. I would like to add a couple pieces of sod so the girls have a little grass and dirt to play in. I do though seem to remember plastic in the sod. Anyone have experience with this?

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Put the sod in trays and build a wire mesh lid up high enough so they cant pull the grass out by the roots.

20 Chickens in a yard about 75 x 75 feet will reduce it pretty much to dirt in record time. They do much better job of weed management than goats.

 

[elmo]

I would also be concerned about any chemical fertilizer or pesticide used on the sod before you bought it.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

If you're going to use sod in the run, I'd rinse it well first. I've put some sod in the run for the past two winters so my chickens have something green to eat when they are unable to wander the yard. I try to clean it up a bit by washing it first. I unroll it and thoroughly drench it with water a few times. I then let it dry out, roll it back up and lay it in the run. I don't know how effective it is at removing chemicals, but I feel better for trying. My girls don't spend very much time at all in their run in the winter compared to the summer so the grass lasts them several months.

 

[St Pete Chick]

I know this is an old post but I'm pretty sure I just lost 2 of my pullets today due to the new sod we put in the run. We had a bad storm 3 weeks ago and it got real muddy in there so we decided to make the ground higher with sod. Within 10 days 2 of the 3 hens I had croaked the same way. Perfectly normal one day, listless in the morning, unable to stand then dead by noon. Do not chance it. Sod is treated for bugs that is toxic to chickens.

 

[Townsend3]

I'm contemplating on laying sod in my yard before winter. I let my 9 hens free range when I'm present so it'd have to be organic for me to even consider doing this. It's 90% dirt right now and a complete muddy mess in the winter so I'm thinking this may be a better option if I can find something safe for the girls. So far I haven't had any luck

 

[JessHeller]

I have only 4 and they free range in the backyard. Due to several factors, dogs, drought, heat, a former swimming pool, the addition of stepping stones, we had a lot of dead patches and dirt/sand areas. This summer my husband started putting sod down in the those areas. After he prepped the area and laid the sod he put wire mesh on top of the seams. This gave the sod a chance to establish itself plus it seems the girls really only care about exposed dirt. So once it grew and we mowed it we removed the wire and now it looks great and the girls pretty much leave it alone. We bought it at home depot so no idea how "organic" it was but we don't put any chemicals or fertilizer on the lawn except for what the hens leave

 

[St Pete Chick]

I laid only a few patches of sod in my yard this summer and it killed all my birds from the pesticides they load it up with. Don't do it if, fill low areas with sand instead. It was horrible watching them die from seizures.