Grass nearly all gone, now what?

[My Three Chicks]

I have had 4 girls since April 2021. I love them dearly. They have a 9'x24' attached run (which has mulch flooring) but spend at least half the day in my suburban backyard. I used to have lush grass but now it's nearly destroyed from their pecking/eating and scratching! I'd love to be able to grow more grass/ground cover so they can have that entertainment and they just love to eat it too (I also grow fodder for them in addition to layer feed). My grass area is only about 12'x25'.

Any suggestions?

Do I maybe fence off half to regrow grass then give them that half and regrow the other? Or is it a losing cause.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Its a lost cause. But if you can do rotational grazing, you can create the illusion of treading water.

Granted, I have more birds, but they've destroyed their "run" (which is like 27 x 60) and all they do is eat there sometimes, and get their water. The rest of the time they are in the pasture (which they have also hurt). Its over an acre.

 

[Stephanie8806]

These are great ideas...thank you! I'll try a few methods and see what works. The girls are pretty happy in their Run so I know they'd be fine if I needed to limit their 'grass time'.

Good luck!!! I hope you’re able to find balance that works for you!

Also, your run is so sizeable… have you thought about building protected grass/fodder boxes in there? Essentially, a low garden bed… just a square/rectangle built out of 2x4s, filled with dirt, with grass or clover or whatever planted in it. Then, build a HWC/chicken wire cover for it, and you’re done! You let the grass grow, take the “lid” off so they can access it, and then replace the lid to let things grow again. Some people even leave the top on, so the chickens can walk on top and eat the grass that sticks out, without disturbing the soil and roots by scratching.

Let me look on Pinterest and find some pictures!

 

[My Three Chicks]

In the meantime I took everyone's advice and decided to do a trial by blocking off 1/4 of the grass and planted Tall Fescue which is supposed to be fast growing and durable! Still a little cold here at night (40s) so not sure how great it'll grow. But wanted to see at least!
Girls were very interested. I had to put bird netting on top since the plastic fencing is not very tall. Hope no one tries to jump over and gets tangled! Also to keep the wild birds from eating the seeds.

 

[My Three Chicks]

It’s really hard to keep beautiful grass with chickens around

A 9x24 run is a huge space for 4 chickens. If you keep them in there to let the grass recover, they WILL be okay. Especially if you’re giving them fodder. How often do you let your chickens out and for how long? You could try spacing their ranging days out a bit and limiting their hours?

Yeah I had gotten the largest run I could thinking I would keep them in there full time. But it didn’t work out that way because they love running around the yard and it makes them so happy…Yes they are spoiled!
They are out in the full backyard about 4-5 hours Mon - Fri. Then pretty much all day on the weekend.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Good luck!!! I hope you’re able to find balance that works for you!

Also, your run is so sizeable… have you thought about building protected grass/fodder boxes in there? Essentially, a low garden bed… just a square/rectangle built out of 2x4s, filled with dirt, with grass or clover or whatever planted in it. Then, build a HWC/chicken wire cover for it, and you’re done! You let the grass grow, take the “lid” off so they can access it, and then replace the lid to let things grow again. Some people even leave the top on, so the chickens can walk on top and eat the grass that sticks out, without disturbing the soil and roots by scratching.

Let me look on Pinterest and find some pictures!

Okay, here’s two examples… but search “chicken grazing boxes” on Pinterest and they will pop right up!

 

[samanthaoverton]

I do this..I have two areas and block one and reseed..it will happen again they're chickens but it's worth it. Chickens love to peck and scratch..

 

[Stephanie8806]

Yeah I had gotten the largest run I could thinking I would keep them in there full time. But it didn’t work out that way because they love running around the yard and it makes them so happy…Yes they are spoiled!
They are out in the full backyard about 4-5 hours Mon - Fri. Then pretty much all day on the weekend.

Well, I think that’s great. You’re a great chicken parent! Most people go with the bare minimum.

That being said, the dirt in your yard needs a break from chicken activity… or less of it if you want grass to grow back. Chicken poop can be a great fertilizer, but it has to have time to break down and age. Fresh, it’s way too high in nitrogen and actually can kill plants. I know they love getting out, but if you bring them fodder they are getting great nutrition.

When I keep my chickens closed in their run(primarily during hawk migration seasons), I scatter bird seed through the run ever few days. I don’t feed my flock corn or soy, so I use a wild finch mix… it’s very small seeds and they stay occupied for quite a while! I also will sprinkle grubs and fresh greens(or hang a cabbage head) in their run to round out the nutrients. Do they complain a bit? Sure. They’d much rather be out. But it just makes them all the more excited when they do!

Just think about it: if you let them have free run, your yard may eventually get taken down to dirt. Then both you AND the chickens have no grass. Let it bounce back, then maybe figure out a way to divide their grazing areas or decrease their overall days or hours outside the run. I’ve read that some people only let their chickens out in the last hour or two of daylight. Chickens get to range, but then they put themselves to bed in their coop. Then, you’re not the “bad guy” for putting them away

 

[samanthaoverton]

Is that an enclosed pen area? Is it an option to reseed the entire area and keep them there till it's grown?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

We overseed with rye grass so something is growing pretty much all year. But they do decimate that as well if left to their own devices.

There's nothing a chicken can't decimate, with time. My barn has a "floor" or recycled concrete base - literally broken chunks of old concrete, tamped down, with more of the stuff around the foundation. My chicken's favorite place to dustbathe? You guessed it, the RCB. Which they have dug at so much, so often, that its now like polished sugar or type-S masonry cement, no concrete chunks can be found - just this fine powder that doesn't grip anything. Its a little more coarse than flour, but not much.