Arizona Chickens

[FeatherPugs]

 

[FeatherPugs]

I thought I'd give an update on our tiny patch of native grass we planted for the animals. We planted Thunder turf, a mix of Buffalo grass, Blue Grama and Curly Mesquite last spring and protected it from the chickens until it got a couple inches high. Overall, we're quite pleased with it and the animals just love it. For the most part it's fast growing enough to outpace the consumption by all the animals. Surprisingly, the tortoises have caused more damage to it than have the chickens. They graze paths right to the ground and early season forays through the center of the patch are still trying to recover. Hopefully the most damaged spots will fill in this winter while they're sleeping. Strangely, the chickens do not scratch while they're in the grass patch which really helped get it established. They love to sit in the grass in the evening.

Gallo - I'm loving this!! Do you think it would grow over the winter months?? I have two older raised beds - about 6' x 9' which I put grass in this last spring and it lasted to about June! They loved scratching it. I plan on replanting grass again this fall but it takes a while - I can put a wire cover over it so the girls still have something to jump up on. And since I have two I can do one then the other. Just wondering about the grow time and the cooler months.

 

[Papas Chickens]

Well ya'll today is going to be the first day i let some of my girls free range in my yard for a few hours but im kind of nervous like a over protective papa on his kids first day to school lol, I just hope they dont decide to hop the fence and wander out into the desert. Anyone have any suggestions to help keep them in the yard?

 

[Papas Chickens]

I thought I'd give an update on our tiny patch of native grass we planted for the animals. We planted Thunder turf, a mix of Buffalo grass, Blue Grama and Curly Mesquite last spring and protected it from the chickens until it got a couple inches high. Overall, we're quite pleased with it and the animals just love it. For the most part it's fast growing enough to outpace the consumption by all the animals. Surprisingly, the tortoises have caused more damage to it than have the chickens. They graze paths right to the ground and early season forays through the center of the patch are still trying to recover. Hopefully the most damaged spots will fill in this winter while they're sleeping. Strangely, the chickens do not scratch while they're in the grass patch which really helped get it established. They love to sit in the grass in the evening.

That is awsome Gallo, everytime i try to grow grass out here it dies quicker then it grows lol, where dio you get that grass seed mix from i would love to try it for my girls.

 

[K9Dave]

I thought I'd give an update on our tiny patch of native grass we planted for the animals. We planted Thunder turf, a mix of Buffalo grass, Blue Grama and Curly Mesquite last spring and protected it from the chickens until it got a couple inches high. Overall, we're quite pleased with it and the animals just love it. For the most part it's fast growing enough to outpace the consumption by all the animals. Surprisingly, the tortoises have caused more damage to it than have the chickens. They graze paths right to the ground and early season forays through the center of the patch are still trying to recover. Hopefully the most damaged spots will fill in this winter while they're sleeping. Strangely, the chickens do not scratch while they're in the grass patch which really helped get it established. They love to sit in the grass in the evening.

So they're not uprooting it and digging? I wonder if it's the grasses you e chosen or ? I am very interested and very impressed. Looks so nice, if be laying in there with them.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Gallo - I'm loving this!! Do you think it would grow over the winter months?? I have two older raised beds - about 6' x 9' which I put grass in this last spring and it lasted to about June! They loved scratching it. I plan on replanting grass again this fall but it takes a while - I can put a wire cover over it so the girls still have something to jump up on. And since I have two I can do one then the other. Just wondering about the grow time and the cooler months.

It definitely seemed to grow slower in the cooler months (I think I planted it in Feb.), but I'm hopeful that it will continue to grow over the winter. I think the problem might be the timing of when you plant it. I seem to recall that the soil temp had to be something like 64 degrees for germination (not positive about the exact temp). I'd definitely try it though! I think that if you got it started now, the winter rains would help get it established. It really took off once we finally got some rain; it does so much better on rain water than ground water.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

That is awsome Gallo, everytime i try to grow grass out here it dies quicker then it grows lol, where dio you get that grass seed mix from i would love to try it for my girls.

I included the link for the source in my original post. I also hadn't had much luck with grass here. We even killed off our last patch of Bermuda. I didn't even think that was possible. Once it's established, this mix only requires something like 12-14 inches of rain a year to keep it going.

So they're not uprooting it and digging? I wonder if it's the grasses you e chosen or ? I am very interested and very impressed. Looks so nice, if be laying in there with them.

No, weird huh? That was completely serendipitous. Yeah, it looks inviting doesn't it! While I'd love to nap there, right now we don't even step on it.

 

[K9Dave]

Well ya'll today is going to be the first day i let some of my girls free range in my yard for a few hours but im kind of nervous like a over protective papa on his kids first day to school lol, I just hope they dont decide to hop the fence and wander out into the desert. Anyone have any suggestions to help keep them in the yard? 

They'll stay where the good food is. My chickens can easily hop the 6ft block wall but never have. Except the Leghorn that I scared and she jump into the neighbors yard. I'm starting to train them to come when called. They love scrambled eggs the most. Keep their bellies full and they won't leave.

 

[chicksurreal]

I thought I'd give an update on our tiny patch of native grass we planted for the animals. We planted Thunder turf, a mix of Buffalo grass, Blue Grama and Curly Mesquite last spring and protected it from the chickens until it got a couple inches high. Overall, we're quite pleased with it and the animals just love it. For the most part it's fast growing enough to outpace the consumption by all the animals. Surprisingly, the tortoises have caused more damage to it than have the chickens. They graze paths right to the ground and early season forays through the center of the patch are still trying to recover. Hopefully the most damaged spots will fill in this winter while they're sleeping. Strangely, the chickens do not scratch while they're in the grass patch which really helped get it established. They love to sit in the grass in the evening.

That's great! I want to plant some grasses in the new run that we're establishing, but I thought the chickens would destroy it before it could get going.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

That's great! I want to plant some grasses in the new run that we're establishing, but I thought the chickens would destroy it before it could get going.

We did protect it for a couple months before giving them access, it's also out in the sunniest part of the yard, so they don't hang out there much in the heat of the day. I think that also helped.