An observation and a question regarding yard damage

[lcarreau]

I have a nice lawn with a big back yard in the DFW area, but I have always struggled with certain weeds before my lawn would come out of dormancy. I just realized a few days ago, that I do not have weeds in my back yard. I have the normal stuff out front, but this is the first year ever where I do not have patches of henbit all over. That was an unanticipated benefit. My lot is about a tthird of an acre with most of that being back yard. I have 4 free range birds that are around 4 months.


Now for the question. I can already see the area around the coop no longer has the thick, spongy grass mat that it used to. I am hopeful the whole area will not go to bare dirt, but I am sure part of it will. My question is, how much damage is typical to a well maintained yard if 4 chickens have free access to a lot of yard? I can already tell they have certain hangout spots they like and I suspect those will get more damage. Will the damage be widespread and scorched earth or more spooty with bare dirt spots here and there? The yard is on sprinklers and gets lots of sun.

 

[Ridgerunner]

In Northwest Arkansas I kept 7 to 9 chickens overwinter but got up to over 50 in the summer as they were growing to butcher age. I had a 12' x 32' main run that was always bare and an additional area about 45' x 65' that was inside electric netting. This is what I'm basing my opinions on.

Over winter the green stuff would die down. In spring I'd keep them locked in the main run for a week or so when the green grass started growing, giving it time to sort of get established. Otherwise the few I overwintered would pretty much keep the green sprouts picked off. I think that's what is happening to your early weeds. They turn green earlier than the grass so they zoom in in anything green. I don't know how much area they really have in your back yard but I don't think four will keep up with the grass as it sprouts. I'm not sure I had to but it felt like the right thing to do.

Once the grass was established they would selectively eat what they liked and leave the rest. They would eat certain grasses, not others. They'd eat certain weeds, not others. I'd have to mow it a few times each summer to keep the bad stuff from crowding out the good stuff. I'd occasionally have to water it in the dry parts of summer but nothing like your sprinklers. Mine still stayed green until the cold winter hit. Since it is your lawn you'll probably keep it mowed anyway.

How much damage will four chickens do to your yard. Some but probably not a lot with only four. They will pick certain places to hang out, often in the shade and where they feel somewhat protected from hawks. They will dig holes for dust baths. Some areas right around the coop itself will probably be bare. If you feed outside, that feed area will be bare. Watering area maybe but usually not as bad. You'll see some damage but most of it will stay green.

 

[lcarreau]

I keep the feed and the water close to the coop and I built things around the coop for them to get in an under. I positioned the coop such that I could easily look out the window and check up on them. I suspect a good part of the area around the coop will be bare dirt. I might consider doing things to encourage tem to spend time in other places to allow for some recovery. I should have a really good idea on all this sometime in April.