chicken yard mow or wild

[kelliepulido]

I have a 60x60ft pen for the chickens.Of course the area right by the door and some other places are all bald but the majority of the pen is wild should I mow it or just let them run through the wild tall weeds?

 

[CoyoteMagic]

let them have the weeds. It won't last long

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, leave it, they'll have fun while it lasts. The parts further from the coop, and further from shade, may last a decent while too, unless you get a lot more chickens.

If it starts growing nasty perennial weeds like thistles or whatever your local scourge is, though, you should probably ought to go in there with a mower and/or shovel and take care of them. Weeds ignored by chickens can build up enough root runners, or set enough seeds, to start to infest your yard or fields or neighbors, and you don't want that.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[RHewitt]

I think a area that large may need some mowing. It may depend on how many chcikens you have using it. I have a chicken yard that used to be a dog pen I built two years ago. It is 150ft by 180ft. I have 40 birds that free range and I still have to cut it every couple of weeks. They keep around the coop pretty eaten down but most of it needs mowing. I believe that the chickens prefer the young tender grass that grows after I cut. The old mature weeds get ignored. Some of the hens will tag along behind the mower and grab the insects that I scare up. The fertilzer they leave keeps my grass growing at high speed especially when we get frequent rain.

 

[Anny]

give them the weeds they will love them.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Try mowing part of it and see which they prefer - my own chickens free range and follow hubby when he mows to grab the bugs that he scares up.

meri

 

[kelliepulido]

yeah there are about 30 birds out there so I am thinking some it will need mowing it is very long now

 

[RHewitt]

Kelli mow it and the chicks will eat the fresh shoots. When the summer is nearing its end you may let it grow and they will eat what they want before the fall sets in.