Eating the grass?

[Ravishaw]

I have 15 chickens... 14 hens and a retarded rooster.

Everyone says chickens destroy their yards by eating grass and scratching dust baths...

Mine don't eat grass and walk BACK into the coop to scratch into the sand beneath the wood shavings I scattered around the coop for dust baths...

I irrigate my lawn and I know there are all kinds of neat bugs in it yet my hens just don't care, or don't do much to control the lawn. I wonder if I'm expecting too much lawn control from 15 birds.

 

[Critter Crazed]

If you want pest control, get guienas. That's what they are known for! My chickens don't do much for pest control. Yet again the most I've had free ranging is 10. I only have 2 now until my adolecents can go in with the big chickens.

My chickens eat grass and have two random dustbathing spots around the yard so I guess they have infact ruined that part of the yard. But you can't really notice and who cares anyways? We have a big yard.

One is along the house and one is next to the coop sort of in the woods.

 

[Ravishaw]

Quote:
I thought they'd eat more grass...

 

[wsdareme]

Shoot, my girls rival my horses when it comes to eating grass! I emptied a large pile of grass clippings from mowing the lawn, and they jumped in and ate like crazy. This morning almost all of the grass is gone. I'm afraid if I free range I won't have a yard left! LOL!! Just kidding.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Foraging skills and habits take time to develop in chickens that have never foraged before. In the brooder, the only food comes from the feeder. It takes time for them to learn that they can eat other things and which things are good. If they have other chickens to teach them or a bold chicken that likes to experiment in the flock, they learn faster.

You don't apply chemicals to your lawn, do you? That could add a bad flavor or make them feel a bit sick. Other than inexperience, that's the only reason I can think of that they wouldn't eat it.

 

[Erica Frizzles]

My young rooster eats grass like my geese. I'm relieved to know that it's normal.

 

[Hellinahelmet]

35 chickens + 1 duck with an identity crisis (thinks he's a chicken) = backyard bulldozer. If I don't move their tractor quick enough they build me free sandboxes. It just takes them a minute to figure out whats delicious and whats not.

 

[Dynahoe Dave]

The free range chickens I got from a friend ate anything that moved. And any scrap people food. The new ones we got Sunday seem to be learning.

 

[Beef]

First off, mine love grass. I rake up some from time to time as a treat in the coop.

I'm thrilled to know that I'm not the only one with a slow rooster. LOL.
However, he is unwanted. He was the freebie from the hatchery. Shocking to me this rooster we call Tidbit started crowing at 4-1/2 to 5 weeks old. It is not a true crow yet, but his feathers get ruffled and he'll crow again if you mock him. He is fun to watch but we are not looking for fertile eggs.

 

[devora]

My beautiful "lawn." Yeah, chickens that do not eat grass, uh huh. Trade ya.