Eating all my grass seed

[CedarRanch]

I have a free range flock. They have access to more acres than they can reasonably use. We have some high traffic areas in are yard that just slowly became bare. We are trying to plant grass seed in the area but the chickens had an absolute hay day with that. We laid down seed and then covered with straw. They will be banned to the run tomorrow, but how long should I expect them to have to stay in there? A few weeks until the grass grows? Will they go after the brand new grass if there is a plenty of grass else where? Are we doomed to having bare soil

 

[FernwoodHollow]

I have a free range flock. They have access to more acres than they can reasonably use. We have some high traffic areas in are yard that just slowly became bare. We are trying to plant grass seed in the area but the chickens had an absolute hay day with that. We laid down seed and then covered with straw. They will be banned to the run tomorrow, but how long should I expect them to have to stay in there? A few weeks until the grass grows? Will they go after the brand new grass if there is a plenty of grass else where? Are we doomed to having bare soil

Maybe buy some cheap flexible fencing to put around that area for a while so they can still free range if you want but not screw up your growing grass, I don't know how warm the weather is where you live but if it's seed germinating temperature, grass is usually pretty strongly established after it's first mow and definitely after its second. So I would probably wait until it's strong enough for its first mow before you give them access to the area unless it's like your entire yard and then I'm not really sure how to help haha

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Same here. If it helps, we still got grass even after the all-you-can-eat chicken buffet. Not as much ad I would like but enough. I tried to coax them away with treats but they were not impressed. They nibbled it for a couple days then moved on.

 

[SourRoses]

Yummy, Seed Buffet!

Well, adding the straw makes it even more appealing for the chickens to dig to find what's underneath.
Depending on the germination requirements, you may be better off covering the seeds with loose soil that is not noticeably different from what you currently have (not potting soil, they love that). Then after a few rains, it will settle in and seem like part of the landscape.
I've learned firsthand not to dig holes or move planting media where my chickens can see. They always want to improve on my efforts.

Fencing around the planted area is a good idea from @FernwoodHollow
And they will stay very interested in the new, tender shoots until it starts to mature. So you're looking at about a month or more of keeping them out of the area.
At least if you have portable fencing ready to go, you can move it around for the next bare patch.

I don't know where you're located... But if we weren't in the south, I really want to try planting Timothy. The blades get a lot wider, while still being a palatable soft grass, so I think it could potentially hold up to chicken traffic a lot better. But it's too hot for that here.
In general, best to stick with grasses that can grow vigorously in your area / season. Pasture mixes can sometimes do better, depending what's in it.

 

[SamLockwood]

I have a free range flock. They have access to more acres than they can reasonably use. We have some high traffic areas in are yard that just slowly became bare. We are trying to plant grass seed in the area but the chickens had an absolute hay day with that. We laid down seed and then covered with straw. They will be banned to the run tomorrow, but how long should I expect them to have to stay in there? A few weeks until the grass grows? Will they go after the brand new grass if there is a plenty of grass else where? Are we doomed to having bare soil

They'll eat any kind of seeds you lay out unless you fence them off. I even made some cubes with PVC pipe and chicken wire for when I plant.

They also have their own peculiar ideas of landscaping. There's a couple areas in my yard they absolutely won't let anything grow in. They'll pick the ground bare, but otherwise they'll leave the ground cover alone. I've had mine prune shrubberies to their liking so they can crawl under them.

On the plus side if you need compost turned or wood chips spread around, they'll do the job for you. Mine even manage to mostly clear the fall leaves out of the yard by spring.