Keeping grass in the run

[Kathyb2]

I am in South Georgia. Over the past 10 years I have gone from totally free ranging, to free ranging a few hours a day, currently not free ranging at all. I have 18 chickens (5 bantams and 13 lg fowl) in a 30 x 30 run. They have been in there for a couple of months. I am happily surprised that they are not keeping up with the grass. Anyone have any tips on what I could do this winter so the grass stays. Could it grow back in the spring if they are on it all winter? I really don't want them on bare dirt if I can help it.

They are not free ranging because of fox/foxes. Literally had a chicken taken with me standing 10 feet from it. Seems like this is a spring/summer problem. Do foxes move around more in the winter time? I would like to go back to free ranging in the winter if possible.

 

[azygous]

Grass disappears from chickens scratching up the roots, not by them eating it. I guarantee, after a full year, all your grass will have turned into bare dirt. It's a given.

There is a way to have grass and chickens at the same time. But you can't have sod. You need to plant deep rooted bunch grasses. Of course, unless you move your run while the new grass gets established, it won't stand a chance of taking hold with chickens scratching it up.

Foxes are year-round predators, probably even more grateful for a quick chicken dinner in winter.

 

[Kathyb2]

Grass disappears from chickens scratching up the roots, not by them eating it. I guarantee, after a full year, all your grass will have turned into bare dirt. It's a given.

There is a way to have grass and chickens at the same time. But you can't have sod. You need to plant deep rooted bunch grasses. Of course, unless you move your run while the new grass gets established, it won't stand a chance of taking hold with chickens scratching it up.

Foxes are year-round predators, probably even more grateful for a quick chicken dinner in winter.

Can you tell me what would be considered a deep rooted bunch grass? Do foxes generally migrate or stay in one area?

 

[azygous]

Foxes stake out a neighborhood and make the rounds every day. They do not migrate, but may move in and out of a territory if pushed out by other foxes.

Here are some species of bunch grasses:

• Purple three-awn — (Aristida purpurea)
• Blue grama — (Bouteloua gracilis)
• Leafy reedgrass — (Calamagrostis foliosa) - (endemic to California)
• Pacific reedgrass — (Calamagrostis nutkaensis)
• Purple Reedgrass — (Calamagrostis purpurascens)
• California oatgrass (Danthonia californica)
• Hare's-tail Cottongrass — (Eriophorum vaginatum)
• California fescue — (Festuca californica)
• Idaho fescue — (Festuca idahoensis)
• Red fescue — (Festuca rubra)
• Junegrass — (Koeleria macrantha)
• Giant wildrye — (Leymus condensatus)
• California melic — (Melica californica)
• Smallflower melic (Melica imperfecta)
• Deer grass — (Muhlenbergia rigens)
• Foothill needlegrass — (Nassella lepida)
• Purple needlegrass — (Nassella pulchra) - (The state grass of California)
• Pine bluegrass — (Poa secunda)
• Prairie dropseed — (Sporobolus heterolepis)
• Salt Couch Grass — (Sporobolus virginicus)
• Eastern gamagrass — (Tripsacum dactyloides)