Growing Grass in the Run

[N F C]

@aart,
What are you growing the grass in? Just water or is there something else in with the seeds?

That does look good enough to eat!

JT

I'd like to know more about what art's doing too!

 

[triplepurpose]

We just move the "run" once or twice a month with portable fencing. Always grass (plus leaf litter, dirt, fallen fruit, etc) and no need to plant or grow any...

I think people commonly underestimate and underquote the amount of space chickens really need for best results. I would need at least a few hundred square feet PER BIRD to maintain a healthy sward in a stationary run (with ample rainfall and yearround growth), and even then one worries about the build-up of parasite load. So ideally it makes more sense from the goal if providing more space and environment to rotate or move "runs" because it effectively gives the advantage of providing lots of space without needing to devote ALL of the space to chickens ALL of the time, as well as keeping the parasites guessing. Not criticizing, just offering some general thoughts for context...

Clever idea. Here the sun would just kill the seedlings in those, but clearly it works great for your spot!

 

[Chicken Girl1]

Wonderful thread! I hope you don't mind me joining. I've needed to do something like this in my run, but I keep procrastinating....

 

[aart]

@aart,
What are you growing the grass in? Just water or is there something else in with the seeds?

That does look good enough to eat!

JT

Tuppereware type dish with drain holes added all around the edge,
that's wheat(people grade-haha) from the bulk 'health' store.
It's commonly called 'fodder' in the chicken world,
do a search you'll find lots of options.

 

[ChickNanny13]

That's what's so GREAT about this site (BYC) so much valuable information & ideas, not to mention the help when needed. Showed Hubby his next project Now to research "fodder" and what to plant...Ideas?

 

[LinnyChx]

I can't remember which featured article it was, but there was a feature of a very large coop compound here on BYC that had a section of frames with grass growing covered in hardware cloth.

The solution they used to prevent sagging was to use large bricks inside the frame to give the chickens somewhere stable to stand and also hold up the hardware cloth. These frames were at least 4X8.

Winter Rye would be a great choice now. I bet chickens would love it!

 

[fairie]

I thought about this idea and then about building a wire frame to put on top of it so that the grass would grow. Then they could eat it at a certain height but not dig it up. Gonna use the greenhouse to get a tub of grass growing first then try this out. I want to do it for our turkeys.

 

[fairie]

Run this IDEA . It is not mine in origin BTW. Plant whatever. Grass/fodder/herbs/etc. Cover with a frame made of 2 x 4 wood. On top of frame, staple 1/2 inch or slightly larger hardware cloth. When greens grow thru the screened protection, chickens consume the plants. They do not finish off the plant by eating roots and all. Scratching is also prevented from destroying the plant as well.

LOVE THIS IDEA!

 

[shawthorne44]

In my chicken keeping research I was most attracted to the books/articles with 'cheap' in their name. I find those to have many very natural ideas without the need for the organic label. One idea was to grow herbs they like in the run using the same basic idea as the grass frame. Except, using old tires as the frame, then small opening hardware cloth on top. It said that you can start it when the plant would be too cold to start in the ground. You add stuff to inside the tire, so it is basically a raised bed. Plus, you put poop compost in first, and then dirt on top. The heat from composting heats up the dirt above it.

I haven't tried it yet since I have a black thumb, but I'd like to. I think I'll try mint first, even I probably couldn't kill mint. I've killed a couple of ivies, so there is still a possibility I could kill mint.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

If your "Run" is big enough, you'll still have grass anyway. Just cut mine yesterday.

I have 54 chickens in a 200x200 run.. no such thing as green in there... lol...