Does grass stand a chance in a large run??? Spring update

[chickenlittle32]

Quote:
I like Mary's response best! lol Mary, send me some grass vibes. You must have something good going on there to have kept some. Since they say 10 sq. feet per chicken in the run, I figured if I gave at least 100 sq. feet per bird, the run would keep some grass in it... So if that doesn't work, it just means I have to buy a LOT of sand I guess...lol.

I forgot to mention that I also have pygmy goats...and STILL have grass. We actually have to mow it every 2 weeks or so...

~~~~sending grass vibes~~~~ LOL

 

[cluck-addict]

absolutely.

I have 33 birds with a run that is about,
oh,
ahhhh

800 sqft

They have been using that run for about 7 weeks and there is still plenty of grass. I'll NEVER have to mow it, and they have their dustbath area but it isn't a dirt lot by any means.

Good luck

 

[Sitka]

With a run that big you could partition it into halves or thirds and when the area they are using starts to get worn down, put them in another part and let the grass in the first part regenerate.

 

[2txmedics]

what is GRASS?...HMMMMMmmmmmm

 

[babyspice35]

I'm sure it's possible. I'd leave a little 5x5 area, maybe in the corner or something free of grass so they have a spot to dustbathe or dig or what have you.

 

[daisy44]

Good luck my four hens ate all the grass in the run. My run is only 7 1/2 feet by 13 1/2 feet... Nothing left...

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
Thanks to all for their feedback. I've definitely received mixed responses!! It's good to hear that several people with larger runs have been able to keep grass in them. I guess I'll stay optimistic, but will be prepared if it doesn't work out that way...
And Courtney...WOW!!! Our run is killing me to build, and I don't even have to do one side, because most of it's length is built along our garage/shop. 800 sq. feet is HUGE!! I considered making ours longer, but just ran out of steam...figured we could expand next spring if we wanted to.

 

[The Gotfeather]

Hi teach1rusl , I agree with most of the other posts, with your low density you should manage to keep your grass. I think Sitka and maybe some others mentioned sectioning off areas within your run to let them recuperate.

My experience with free ranging chooks here in Tasmania over the wettest winter I have experienced in 10 years is that any waterlogged site where chooks are enticed to scratch will become mud. I don't know what the rainfall is like where you are but if it is reasonably moderate to high you will end up with patches of mud - assess the level of your run. The high and low points of your run are likely to lose the grass first.

Plan ahead on how you will manage these areas. You could section off the low areas if your wet season was at the end of winter like ours is and plant a chook fodder mix in there and let them go wild a few months later.

Once an area becomes dirt/mud in a chook run it will possibly never recover to become the lawn/grass it was before. If it is in a high traffic area then let it go but if not you can section it off and play with it.

As most of my chooks free range these are ideas that I haven't put into put into practice so I am certainly no expert.

Cheers, Dalles

 

[Judy]

Yes, if it's big enough. I have a 75'x75' yard with about 20 chickens now, but there were about 50 til the roos were old enough to process. The area in front of the pop door is dirt, maybe a 10'x20' area, but the grass and weeds are grown up in the rest of the yard. I don't trim or cut as some weeds are over 4' high, giving them some cover and shade. When there were 50, that was just over 100 sq ft per bird, so you should be fine. Don't worry about dust bathing; they will do this near the door where they have scratched the vegetation out.

Good for you, for giving them the space. I would not keep chickens in a 10 sq ft per bird yard (or a 4 sq ft per bird coop, for that matter.)

 

[cmom]

Yes it it's big enough. I have a smaller covered run and a larger run/yard. The part by the coop has no grass but the part further out does.