Grass nearly all gone, now what?

[Stephanie8806]

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?

 

[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]

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

 

[raingarden]

If it is a turf grass like Centipede or Saint Augustine, it will come back much more quickly if the birds are not allowed to scratch up the runners/stolons/roots.

Unfortunately, it takes weeks to get a lush stand of anything, but it only takes hours to destroy it. You never get ahead.

If you only gave them a play-pen-size plot to work on and rotated to a different plot every day you might keep up. But, getting them into and out of a plot that small would be a chore.

Alfalfa, millet, wheat and rye all come up pretty fast to give you a short-lived green forage. Check around for something you can buy in bulk to keep the seed price down. A 50 lb bag of hard red wheat or wild bird seed (mostly millet) from the feed store is reasonably priced and will seed a lot of area.

 

[My Three Chicks]

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

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'.

 

[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!

 

[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!

 

[My Three Chicks]

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

These are great! I'd love to try making one. But my run is covered so it doesn't get much sunlight so I'm not sure how great it will grow. But I love the idea. Thanks for sharing!

 

[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.

 

[Stephanie8806]

These are great! I'd love to try making one. But my run is covered so it doesn't get much sunlight so I'm not sure how great it will grow. But I love the idea. Thanks for sharing!

You’re welcome! It could be worth a try? Think about grass in the shadier areas of your lawn… still grows pretty lush once established! I’d say put them near the edge of your run, where they stand to catch the most sun. Indirect light is highly underestimated when it comes to plant growth!