Grass as bedding?

[New2COchicks]

I cut my grass. Should I use it for bedding instead of pine shaving?

 

[rosemarythyme]

You can use some as bedding, I currently have a few piles of it dumped in my run. But I would not use grass only as it mats down especially when it gets wet.

Also chickens like eating it. To prevent my hens from just gorging on it, I have a mulching mower, which cuts the pieces shorter, and I also let the grass partially dry out, which makes it less tasty to my flock, so they're less likely to eat too much of it.

 

[New2COchicks]

Thanks

 

[Ridgerunner]

You could try them as bedding in your coop instead of pine shavings. You could even try them as bedding in your nest. But I'd want them to be really dried out, more like hay. If they are still green they can rot, compost, break down whichever words you prefer. That probably would not work well. They will be fine and will pack if they get wet, so keep them dry, just like you need to do with your pine shavings. They will eat some but as long as they have grit they'll be OK. If your chickens forage on grass feeding then grass clippings seems a waste.

Some people turn their coop floor into a compost pile, the Deep Litter Method. This generally works better on a coop on the ground instead of elevated. Fresh grass clippings can work in that. They'll eat some and help you compost the rest with their scratching.

Some people feed them grass clippings in the run, just toss them in. Some of that depends on how big your run is and how deep the grass clippings would pile up. Some people turn their runs into a compost pile, fresh grass clippings would be good for that.

Mine forage for grass and I have a mulching mower. I leave the clippings to break down on the lawn, they are good fertilizer as they rot.

 

[Gray Farms]

Let dry very well if you do. A layer of wet grass clippings will mold.