Anyway to get grass in the run?

[topher8547]

My whole yard is covered in grass except the one area the run is there anyway to put grass in that is safe for the chicken?

 

[topher8547]

 

[vehve]

I've seen some solutions where people have made a frame, about 3 inches high, covered it with hardware cloth, and planted grass under it. The chickens can eat what grows up though the net, but can't dig out the grass. I wouldn't do that for the whole run though.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

When chickens are confined they turn their lush grassy area into a muddy dirty plot. There is really no way to fix this. If you take the time to plant grass seed, isolate the flock from it and then let them out once its grown, the whole process will repeat itself. If possible, let them free range a little each day and give them greens instead of replanting grass.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X3, chickens will destroy the grass in their run in time... many people put down sand in the run to help with drainage and keep things cleaner. Grazing frames in spots are another thing some people use http://www.thegardencoop.com/blog/2012/02/07/grazing-frames-backyard-chickens/

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

X4 Chickens will denude an area in no time. The only thing you can do is rotate their grazing areas allowing for things to grow back. However chickens tend to rip grass out by the roots. So it may be difficult to keep them on grass.

Good luck and welcome to our flock!

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

It is common for chickens to "de-grass" their runs--mine got rid of the grass in their runs in less than 2 months. If you really want them to have grass, rotating the grazing areas can help, or you can make frames to put over the grass. I personally just let them have their dirt run, and give them greens regularly. They also get some supervised time out in the yard ever so often, where they can eat plenty of grass/weeds.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. X5 on chickens destroying grass. It's incredible how fast chickens can turn a dirt floor into a mud hole. I would fill the run area in with either fine pea gravel or course river sand and follow Mountain Peeps advice for providing greens for your flock. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. I see two Barred Rock hens in your picture. Do you have any other chickens?

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

We're glad to have you.

 

[drumstick diva]

You could build chicken tractor so they can graze on grass for a bit, an the next day move it to a different location. That way they can have some grass but move on before they defoliate the area. Also if you have a vegetable garden, you can let them graze there after the last harvest and they will take care of any leftovers,