Is long grass a problem?

[Birds of a Feather]

People always say that long grass is a problem, but my chickens have never had a problem with it. I think there might be some risk to feeding them very long, tough cut grass, but they seem to be fine foraging in long grass because they break off short pieces with their beaks before eating it. Also, I agree that oyster shell is not generally not a source of grit.
My chickens like to eat dandelions and plantain (the plant, not the banana).

 

[trufadog]

"]I find that if I let the grass clippings dry out after mowing that the chickens have little to no interest in it. I even collect the dry clippings to mix into the run litter. So maybe pen them up after mowing for a day?[

Thank you! I think we are this kind of mower..the three times a yr mower and we will pen them up for a couple days after that. Thank you!

 

[BirdGirl2004]

I 've been reading online about the potential problems that can occur after a chicken eats long grass - apparently they can get a crop impaction

Obviously, I can mow my own lawn to control it's length. But my chickens are often allowed to free range nearby on utility land and parkland nearby - I can't really control the length of this grass! How much of a problem is it? Are you just unlucky if they get a crop impaction or is it almost certain to happen? It's hasn't happened so far in the 6 months I've had them. I guess I could keep them locked up in their run, but they love free ranging so much! They call out to me when they hear me get home from work, demanding to be let out! Appreciate anyone's experiences with this.

Honestly, if anything I believe grass to have great benefit to my chickens! They get ample amounts of bugs!!

 

[Dawnclucks22]

Grass? What? Where?

 

[Zinjifrah]

I was actually thinking about the fact that I'd read long grass can be a problem just today, while the birds were out for a little while. They're only out of the run when I can sit and supervise, since hawks are thick here and most of my property is typical high desert terrain - no cover. Nor am I even going to consider mowing that much land. I don't plant grass, I don't water it. It's a waste of water here. But in the shade, what little there is, grass does volunteer. The rest of the property is delicious weeds, apparently, since the chickens love them, but it's hitting the point where they're mostly dried out and boring.

The reason I was thinking about it, was because I was watching my red-smut blue EE hen attack a clump of long grass. She would get hold of a stalk, fight it loose, then sit there and tear it into small pieces to eat. She could have sucked down the whole piece of grass - but she didn't. Every blade of grass in that little clump, she pulled loose so she got the tender parts, then systematically chewed and shredded it up into small pieces to eat.

Meanwhile, she completely missed the juicy scorpion that ran across in front of her... but one of my little Seramas got it!

 

[Mach 1 Padilla]

I keep my 4day - 4 week old chicks in a 2x4 pin 4' off the ground outside . I pull out long grass with the roots and dirt clog still hanging with the roots and put it in their pin all the time and they love it!. Never had a problem.

 

[BY Bob]

Mine love the seeds of the top of long grass. If we get a lot of rain and I can't mow they get excited. No crop problems so far.

 

[BY Bob]

Grass? What? Where?

I read the tag lines at the bottom. I could be the only 1 though

 

[GC-Raptor]

Mine love the seeds of the top of long grass.

My Golden Comets are funny, they like the seeds on long grass, but they won't walk through tall grass. They walk along the edge where I mowed or reach though their pen to snap up the seeds on the tall grass. . GC

 

[RodNTN]

Our grass doesn't get long enough to pose a problem, and my chickens free range so they are usually looking for something tastier than extremely long grass.