Grass mowing

[Ridgerunner]

I kept mine penned in a 12' x 32' run for a while. The first couple of times I mowed they ran into the coop, did not like that mower at all. Then they noticed that when I mowed by the run, bits of grass was thrown through the fence inti the run. After that, when they heard the sound of the mower they ran to the run fence to wait on the grass bits.

I did free range them for a while. They stayed away from the mower. They could get their own grass bits.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I hope I don't sound too ignorant here but I'm still working on my coop for the spring arrival of chicks....in the meantime I'm cruising posts here and trying to figure things out. I've looked and have never really found an answer to the question of "What do you do with your free range flock when mowing grass?" I have to mow at least once a week and sometimes more with all the rain. I run a big commercial zero turn which make lots of noise!! Do I put them in the coop? Leave them out and let them get out of the way? My coop is going to be fairly close to my house in my backyard.

Mine don't like being close to the mower when it is on, but they love to flank it and trail behind it where they can get the bugs I disturb.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Kinda sounds like I'm the only one having to yell "chicken get out of the way!!" Mine seem very stupid about the mower but it's a Toro, not loud, you should have no problems with a big loud mower!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Kinda sounds like I'm the only one having to yell "chicken get out of the way!!"

Just more proof that no matter what the question or answer there is always an exception. The only thing consistent about chickens is that they are inconsistent.

 

[RubelliteRose]

Kinda sounds like I'm the only one having to yell "chicken get out of the way!!"

My chickens stay away from our mower, but my neighbor's chickens like the very back of our property and I have to yell at them to move too
We only penned our flock in the run while mowing when our broody chicks were very young. Our second broody had her chicks out and about at 3 days old and we were afraid we wouldn't be able to see them in any taller grass. Once they were a few weeks old, they learned to move away with the rest of the flock.