cut grass?

[thebroodybunch]

I've heard it both ways. I always thought it would be great compost after having some chicken manure mixed in. Never really thought about giving it to the chickens to actually eat. I know that long grass can be dangerous. So I make sure the grass clippings are short.

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
Since virtually all feed & fodder harvested for animal feed is harvested using gas or diesel powered machinery I assume that too has "gas and other chemicals mixed in with it". Where then would you recommend that one go for animal food?

 

[Carolyn252]

I've had my two pullets for only a week and a half, so I am FAR from any sort of chicken expert, but I've been tossing two handsful of grass to them almost every day. I just pull it up from the lawn. (No lawn chemicals, weedkillers, etc., anywhere on my property.) They both seem to love it and gobble most of it down immediately. Whatever few blades of grass are left over just dry up and get mixed into the pine shavings on the run's earthen floor.

 

[Big dreams]

Horses and cows will over eat when it is so easy, chickens not so much, I feed it to mine all the time and they do fine, but mine is short as well.

 

[StacyK]

I'm not an expert by any means either, but mine love it. They don't free range for safety purposes either. I do cut it very short after reading about long grass causing problems in the crop.

I have a pie pan & scissors just for the purpose of cutting some grass every morning & afternoon. They stand by the door waiting for me & dive on it when I toss it in

 

[katkat92]

When we mow we add the clippings to the compost pile, which the chickens have access to. They LOVE the grass clippings and all the little bugs that go with it. Even my turkey loves grass. We usually mow about 1/2 to 1 acre at a time, so that's a lot of grass and they have the pile knocked down and aerated in about 2 days.

I have seen frogs, lizards and snakes that got sucked up in the mower come out of the pile and sometimes the chickens even feed on those critters. Never once has hurt them.

 

[mdbokc]

I mow a bag of thin blade fescue each day and most is eaten every day. Usually, the length is about one inch and less that is cut off. The kiddo rakes out anything left in the weekly raking of the run.
So far, no problems and been doing it all summer. Give them ACV and yogurt to help prevent the sour crop thing.

I know if a day goes by that I don't mow and feed, they fiercely attack the green grass/weeds when they are turned loose in the evening to the free range area.

 

[ams3651]

I throw a couple handfuls in after I mow. I have lots of white clover in my lawn too and they love it.

 

[twentynine]

When I move the tractor to new ground the chickens clip the grass themselves.
Chicken crop bound because of grass--- she was probably a little pig. She would have eventually had problems no matter what she was fed.
Little Chickie what do you propose we (people) or chickens eat? I know of no crops that are planted, tended and harvested with out the benefits of internal combustion engines.
I'll say it again some of you guys need to get a little more country. Chickens have survived for generations un-numbered eating and being fed virtually anything and everything.
When I cut grass I'll actually point the mower discharge into the tractor as I pass by. Chickens love the bugs and grass, the noise of the mower, maybe not so much.

 

[computer_chicken]

I give my 4 Buff Orps a handful of cut grass now & then as a treat. ALso I pull grass/ chick weed/ etc by hand and feed them occasionally.
They have not had any problems.