I’d like to plant a nice surprise for my chickies!

[Celeste Cannon]

My family plans on moving for around a month while our house is under construction. I get to take my chickens with me, thank goodness, and I was thinking it would be great to have them come back to a beautiful run. Right now it’s really dusty and rocky, it looks pretty unpleasant. I was planning on taking all of the rocks out as a big project and replacing it with a little more dirt. Do you think there’s any grass type of plants that I could plant in their run? I know I’d have very limited options because it’s super dry and in the shade. I could try coming every week to water it though. I don’t mind if they tear it down once they return, Id just like them to have a nice present for when they get home. I live in LA, are there any native plants that would survive?

 

[Chicalina]

wow that is dry and rocky and halfway up a hill!

I don’t see much point in growing and watering grass for weeks and giving them an hour of greenery and then it's gone. Have you thought about planting grass, clover, dandelions, weeds etc in shallow containers outside of the run that you rotate inside. If you get 5 or 6 containers, even just use those fabric ones with handles, then that way they can have a constant stream of greenery to forage in, while you swap out and reseed each container every few days or one a week.

clover and grass mix seed is cheap to buy. Just dont get any seeds that are treated with pesticides and nitrogen. Buy the pasture version. A big sack will last you a couple of years.

 

[Celeste Cannon]

wow that is dry and rocky and halfway up a hill!

I don’t see much point in growing and watering grass for weeks and giving them an hour of greenery and then it's gone. Have you thought about planting grass, clover, dandelions, weeds etc in shallow containers outside of the run that you rotate inside. If you get 5 or 6 containers, even just use those fabric ones with handles, then that way they can have a constant stream of greenery to forage in, while you swap out and reseed each container every few days or one a week.

clover and grass mix seed is cheap to buy. Just dont get any seeds that are treated with pesticides and nitrogen. Buy the pasture version. A big sack will last you a couple of years.

That sounds Great! Thank you for replying, you’re right it would be pretty pointless to plant grass, it’s also a fire hazard . I try letting them out once a day into the yard, which is lovely. Wish they could spend more time there but we have so many hawks. I think if I tried planting little boxes they would just destroy them when they got their outside time. I just feel bad they don’t get to have an environment softer on their feet . Do you think i should try bushes? It’s just so dull in there.

 

[Chicalina]

Hardy dry shrubs like lavender and rosemary might survive there. What about a grapevine? It also likes a hot dry climate, provides greenery and shade, plus grapes the chickens will LOVE, and if you grow it up that tree trunk or on some wires then most of it will be out of pecking reach, and the chickens will only get the lower part. That is what i have in my garden. I do have to water it a bit during the summer though.

You could try some woodchip mulch over the dry earth. It smells good and is gentle on their feet. It will also compost down and enrich the earth so you can grow stuff there.

 

[Flockincrazy]

My family plans on moving for around a month while our house is under construction. I get to take my chickens with me, thank goodness, and I was thinking it would be great to have them come back to a beautiful run. Right now it’s really dusty and rocky, it looks pretty unpleasant. I was planning on taking all of the rocks out as a big project and replacing it with a little more dirt. Do you think there’s any grass type of plants that I could plant in their run? I know I’d have very limited options because it’s super dry and in the shade. I could try coming every week to water it though. I don’t mind if they tear it down once they return, Id just like them to have a nice present for when they get home. I live in LA, are there any native plants that would survive?

I would recommend adding grass mats they are square mats that you put down water and grass grows and they're not crazy expensive
Check this out at Amazon.com
Grotrax Biodegradable Grass Seed Mat, Year Round Green - 50 Sq Ft Quick Fix Roll - All in One Growing Solution for Lawns, Dog Patches and Shade - Just Roll Water & Grow -Not Fake or Artificial Grass https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DD21X3N/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_RmQvFbJGZF24Y

 

[Chicalina]

Hardy dry shrubs like lavender and rosemary might survive there. What about a grapevine? It also likes a hot dry climate, provides greenery and shade, plus grapes the chickens will LOVE, and if you grow it up that tree trunk or on some wires then most of it will be out of pecking reach, and the chickens will only get the lower part. That is what i have in my garden. I do have to water it a bit during the summer though.

You could try some woodchip mulch over the dry earth. It smells good and is gentle on their feet. It will also compost down and enrich the earth so you can grow stuff there.

I think i meant bark not woodchip. You know, the outside stuff! Not coop bedding!

 

[Flockincrazy]

I think i meant bark not woodchip. You know, the outside stuff! Not coop bedding!

Mulch maybe

 

[Nigel27]

A sprinkler on a timer and clover, grass or alfalfa seeds even some greens seed, radish broccoli, kale, spinach or any edible veggies would be awesome. It would probably be trampled back down over time but you’d get some super nutritious eggs for awhile. With brassicas the obviously won’t mature but they grow quickly and chickens love them. If you buy seeds for sprouts that would save money and ensure they didn’t have fungicide or bactericide on them. I’d buy a few different kinds and mix them with soil and spread the soil then set the sprinkler to once in the am for 20mins. I’m now inspired to do something similar! Maybe I’ll just put chicken wire on the ground where it’s bare and sprinkle seed and take off the wire when they’ve grown a bit.

 

[Chicalina]

Mulch maybe

Yeah the mulch stuff!

I think we call them bark chippings here. I'm confusing everybody now!

 

[Flockincrazy]

Yeah the mulch stuff!

I think we call them bark chippings here. I'm confusing everybody now!

Thats ok different country's lol