Do you guys think chickens will destroy my lawn?

[LamarshFish]

Hi all. I'm not new to chickens, but I have never personally owned them. I have racing pigeons and chukars, so I'm not new to birds. My brother has LOTS of chickens, and I have several friends with chickens, so I know their behaviors and most everything I need to know to have them. But I am wondering one thing about whether they'd ruin my grass.

I live in a pretty urban area, with a 5500sqft lot. Whole back yard is fenced in. I keep my chukars in a very small chicken coup, and I only have one left, and he's very old, so my plans are, when he goes, to get two hens, and have them live in his chicken coup. But this coup, while being advertised as a 3 chicken coup, in my opinion is WAY too small to keep chickens in unless they have ability to free range. It has two nest boxes sufficient in size for two normal sized chickens to lay in and be fine at night, but the run and overall size IMO is just not fair unless they are able to get out and run around. So, my plan is to have an open door policy, otherwise I will need to build a new coup. We have no risk of coyotes or foxes where I live, and we have very few raccoons. We get possums from time to time. We do have hawks, and it gets pretty bad during hawk migration, I rare let my homers out November through February, as the migrating goshawks are just ruthless (the resident red tails don't seem to be a big problem).

Anyways, acknowledging they like dirt baths, and I do plan to make a designated dirt bath area, I'm wondering if I get two hens and let them live in that small coup with a door open policy, whether they will just completely destroy my beautiful lawn....

Thoughts?

 

[Relleoms]

Most likely! It seems like they destroy everything you don’t want them to...mulch, flower pots, garden produce...so if you have JUST grass, it may take them a bit longer to reek havoc!

 

[Backyard Bruce]

Agree ^^
Also, my chickens at least, do NOT adhere to designated ANYTHING. Sure I made a dirt bath for them, That promptly decided to poop in it a dust bathe everywhere except in the dirt bath box.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

If you are just keeping 2 chickens then they wont destroy your lawn, But they will probably make dust baths were ever you don't want them to

 

[Chickassan]

Not destroy but they will landscape. Any bare earth is primo dustbathing real estate and if there is none they'll make some.

 

[FlyWheel]

I thought "separate but equal" was banned in this country?

 

[Fishkeeper]

I'm amused by how they've organized themselves by color- a patch of brown, a patch of white, and a patch of gold. Do they normally do that?

Yes, chickens will mess up your lawn. How much they do that will vary, but some degree of mess will happen. You can build them a run, confine them in a chicken trailer, or just let them scratch a few holes in things and poop everywhere.

 

[EggWalrus]

@LamarshFish You could put 50 chickens in a 5500sqft lot and they wouldn't hurt it if it's just grass. They will make dirt baths in any bare spot that they think looks like a good dirt bath hole. They may scratch around in any flower beds and maybe even dig up flowers.
But they would have to be Super Chickens going 24/7 for a few to destroy a yard that size.
And their droppings won't hurt or burn your lawn, just fertilize it a very little bit with that few chickens.

 

[sourland]

Get 3 not 2. That way if/when one dies two remain for company for one another. You will want a covered pen for if/when predation occurs. They won't ruin your lawn, but as others have said they will do a bit of landscaping in flower beds or any other area you treasure. Go for it.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

I'm amused by how they've organized themselves by color- a patch of brown, a patch of white, and a patch of gold. Do they normally do that?......

There’s truth to the saying “Birds of a feather flock together”