I have 5 chooks on a medium size lawn - will they kill the grass?

[fluffybuthut]

I have just moved into a new place with a medium sized lawn. I only have 5 chickens and they are always free-range. Will they kill the grass on the whole lawn?

Thanks

 

[All4Eggz]

We have a large yard with over 50 chickens, and they destroyed their area in just months. So I would say, yes, they will kill most of it, but likely much slower since there are only 5 of them.

 

[SueT]

Probably. It depends on rain and how big your medium size is....

 

[fluffybuthut]

It's more medium to large. Thanks guys, maybe it would be best putting them into a run a couple of times a week to give the grass a break?

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Yes, unless you plant something they don't care to eat.

 

[All4Eggz]

It's more medium to large. Thanks guys, maybe it would be best putting them into a run a couple of times a week to give the grass a break?

That could be a good idea.
You could also sow some grass seeds every year and keep them penned up until the grass is grown.

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes, mine have been out quite a bit lately, so dang hot. And last night I noticed under the brush that was pretty solid grass and weeds Is now bare sand, and mine have acres to play in.

So you might let them out once in a while, or there won't be any grass. The moment it looks slightly thin, they would have to be in lock up for quite a bit of time to let it recover.

Mrs K

 

[LilRedmamma]

Uh yeah, their claws are meant for digging (up morsels of bugs) so if you WANT them to be a natural tiller, lettem at it!
My first summer I ambitiously and naively tried sowing deerplot seeds in a 10x8 corner next to the run. It was obliterated in 3 hours! They’s some very happy birds lol. Next I built a wireframe on the ground, it didn’t hold up to our other wildlife or my clumsiness. I now have doubled the run size with 4 more youngsters, two just started laying. They don’t want out, quite content to lounge around inside the run, playing…Squawkers. Lol

 

[Happy hen lover]

Yep they'll tear it up no time at all. I have 2'x2' "grazing boxes " that stop growing and when I lift the boxes off they tear those up in a few minutes. They are like a dirt moving crew!

 

[SueT]

If it’s under half an acre, you could just let them out a couple hours a day. Half an acre might do okay if you aren’t in drought...