how to get grass to grow in the run?

[lutz123]

Grass clippings (and any other for that matter) are fine if they are fresh, or completely dried. Be careful if they have been sitting in a clump for a day or two and are moist and fermenting.

Also, endophyte free grass (fescue is the issue) is nearly impossible to find here in Virginia. They sell endophyte free fescue seed but the extension office and feed store told me it's just a waste of money because it will eventually have infected mixed in with it due to wild bird/animal feces. I haven't ever seen any study on poultry saying it's an issue. It is an issue with some livestock in certain circumstances.

I love the hardware cloth idea! We are building our run and I will definitely put that in!

 

[armedtodream]

We were given several different kinds of mint, herbs, etc... to plant IN the pen. The mints as you know, are extremely hardy, to the point of annoying to most people but it doesn't hurt me one bit that they take over the pen. The chickens like almost all kinds of greens & can't hurt these. I'd just ask on freecylcle or from friends for non-treated plants known to be annoying/spreading (I haven't done this but wonder if you could use strawberries since they send out all those runner plants...) It's great for the ground in the pen too, keeps it from suffering from erosion/run off during rains, brings more bugs, keeps some composty action going on all the time. This in addition to taking all our peelings/veg/fruit/sprouted grain bread/etc. scraps & putting the occasional half melon out there, it keeps them so happy!

 

[Mommysongbird]

Quote:
So is the hardware cloth stapled/nail down all the way around? Can you lift it to put in more see or do you just throw the seed in and let it go?

Is that all you put in is grass? I read one post on BYC some time ago that someone actually planted leaf lettuce and some other veggies for their chickies. But I don't know how something like that would grow with wire over top??

Well if I decided to make one it can't be very big, maybe 2'x2' there is just not enough run space. I am still wanting to do a small 2'x2' sand box as well but that I may just end placing near the ramp to the coop door. I wish we would have made our ramp smaller, its like 3' long and 16" wide (my dads idea).

The hardware cloth is nailed down all the way around. The whole thing is 2'x4' and it's made out of 4"x4" landscape posts. If I have to do any "gardening" in it, I can just lift it off the ground, it's just sitting on top of the ground. I can pick it up, but the chickens can't. I hope this answers your questions

Okay, that makes sense. Not sure why I was thinking you would need to be able to get under the wire.

The blonde thing again.

 

[carsNchickens]

Quote:
you could always make a small movable run out some spare wood and fencing just big enough for all of them to graze. this way you happy cause they're safe and they're happy because they get to eat all those tasty bugs, and ofcourse grass...

 

[Mommysongbird]

Quote:
You said 'annoying/spreading' type plants, would that include Vincia, Kudzu and Periwinkle or can chickens have those??? We have all three on the other side of our lawn. The KUDZU is my worst enemy and I would LOVE to have a goat to eat it all, but the Vincia and Periwinkle are hazordous to goats, plus we don't have room for a goat right now.

 

[jomercer]

Quote:
Kudzu was imported to the U.S. as a forage, so it might be yummy to chickens.

 

[LUVMY5HENS]

Love the sod/salad bar idea! We also give our girls the grass clippings when we mow. Doesn't last long, but they get some greens and love to scratch around in it!

 

[Rusty's Ranch]

Along the salad bar theme, we don't have a very large run so we've planted annual rye and clover in pots and lined them up along one side.

I'm trying to get hubbie to make me a larger salad bar box for the yard to help grass get established in the bare spots.

 

[so lucky]

When my 6 chicks were still in my basement I would go out to the edge of my garden and scoop up a shovel full of dirt/sod/grass. I put it in an old pan and gave it to the chickens. They would pick, peck, scratch, root and stand on the clump. They loved it, and if I left it in the brooder, they would destroy it in a day, so I only left it in for a few hours at a time. If there is a place in your lawn that you could use by the shovelful, I suggest doing this. You could have two or three, rotate them, or put the clump back in the yard when it looked destroyed. It would probably rejuvinate in no time. Maybe you could use your neighbor's lawn?

 

[his4ever]

Hey Rusty, do they kill the pots quickly? Or does the grass and clover have a chance to keep growing?