Ground Cover

[Eggeater]

I'm looking for a quick growing ground cover for our pen approx 30'x20'. My ladies were moved into a new pen this spring before the existing grass even had a chance to turn green. Now the pen is a wasteland of dirt and straw that I have added. I am planning on fencing in our back yard so they can range while the new cover grows. I'm just not sure what will best for them to forage in that can grow quickly. Any suggestions?

 

[jenjscott]

i'm not sure you can ever keep cover in there for them. How about greens?

 

[DarkWolf]

The likelihood of you keeping anything alive in there with the hens is slim to none. Nothing can grow quick enough to keep up with them.

That said, there has been an idea stated before to make a 2x4 frame and cover it with hardware cloth, then lay THAT in a section of the run so that the grass or what ever is planted can grow up through the mesh but can stay protected enough to grow.

I've not tried it, but hear it works well enough. Might want to exclude them from the boxes though until the plants can get really established, just to make sure they don't pull it out by the root.

 

[steve2495]

strawberries the hens would probly destroy them nvr tried it b4 but some versions of strawberries r great ground cover and the hens would love eating it

 

[Eggeater]

Thanks for the input! I'll try different stuff and see what works and report back.

 

[mythkat]

I'm going to try this Omega 3 Chicken mix. Not in the run but where I let them free range.

http://www.groworganic.com/browse_363_Cover_Crop_Lawn_Wildflower_Nativ.html

 

[ChickensInTheNorthWoods]

sand works good!

trying to keep anything green alive in a fixed run will be nearly impossible. You could always try Zoysia Grass - it is almost impossible to kill and it spreads like strawberry plants. My mothers neighbors hate it as it has started spreading into their lawns! I can jump up and down on a shovel / spade without cutting through all its roots.
http://www1.zoysiafarms.com/?gclid=CKO1zc_3-5oCFQHyDAod03xSfQ