Do chickens EAT the grass or just scratch it up?

[AlienChick]

We have about 2 acres where the chickens will be.

I was thinking about using my chickens as lawn mowers either free ranging them or using a tractor.

If I use the tractor method, they will not be in any one location more than a day.

Will they EAT the tops of the grass . . . or will they just scratch it up leaving behind a muddy mess.



?

 

[kidd42]

They will eat the tops. How good of a mower they are I don't know, nothing like a goat would do.

 

[ChooksChick]

Mine are very good lawn mowers!!

I do have to have a few milk crates to put down for when they start to dig in the middle of the lawn...they'll go REALLY deep. Beware they will destroy your ornamentals...

 

[Sjisty]

They will do both - eat the grass and scratch, digging part of it up. If you move your tractor daily and don't have too many chickens, the grass should be okay, though.

 

[AlienChick]

Yeah, I do plan on moving it around daily.

 

[gingernutranger]

I have 2 24X24 grass runs off the sand chicken paddocks and theres usually about 10 chickens in each grass pen at a time and the grass is still about 2 feet in some spots and mud in the other. They wont mow it down evenly unless you move the coop around evenly so they eat it down and mud doesn't occur.

I keep mine in the one for 2 months during the winter and the rest of the year in the other and still grows.