Alright.....do chickens really scratch?!?!?!

[Portia]

they certainly do...I should go take a few pictures. Still, you won't see the extent of their work unless they have some exposed ground to work. They don't scratch much in the grass unless there is a bare patch, then they will go to town enlarging it for you.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Evidence of chickens....


July 8, 2008. Chicken run, home to 5 three month old chicks...

April 6, 2009. The same chicken run, home to 4 (minus 1 rooster) one year old chickens...

Any questions?

 

[amartinlb]

Mine are already 3-5 weeks and when I brought them outside for the first time yesterday they immediately started scratching through the grass and soil and found two large earthworms!!!

I'm sure yours will get the hang of it soon though...!

-Anna

 

[Bec]

I would imagine that if I turned all 25 of mine out in the garden, I wouldn't need a tiller every spring!!!

They scratch all the time...you will see them scratch then they hurry up and back up to see what they've found.

As for the dusting/bathing holes, the whole back of my house is like one BIG dust bath for them!

 

[LauraM]

Okay, I am convinced! And Hen Mama2, thanks for your pics! I saw the first picture and I thought, What? that looks normal....then I scrolled down

my husband would not like to see that since he just planted grass seed on half of our yard (it is fenced off). Just the thought of all his hard work going to chicken scratch would not make him happy!! I guess our chicks instinct haven't fully kicked in yet, or maybe their hasn't been a bare spot. Heck, it took them so long to even get out of the hen house part of the chicken tractor and they still don't roost, I put them on it and they will stay for like 2 seconds and jump down. They still sleep in a pile on the grass.

 

[silkiechicken]

They do scratch the soil, however, they do not "till" per se because after they scratch, they walk, and tend to compact soil.

 

[Bec]

I didn't mean they would actually till the garden...

They just scratch a lot and have turned my nice shaded grassy area against the house to loose dirt for bathing.