My soon to be demolished yard...

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. They are diggers.

 

[crazyhen]

I saw a picture recently of a yard covered in welded wire. They said it prevented the digging of the grass but still could be pecked with abandom. Lots of trouble though. I have a large run 45'x12' but it only took the 5 hens 3 months to turn it into a moonscape. Gloria Jean

 

[tygab]

Our hens are tearing up our one established paddock, and one swath of lawn. The lawn I am ok with (crows are also eating this) but the paddock is the only real grass we have for our pacas, so that kinda bugs me. But, they are so happy doing it I have given up trying to stop them. Hasn't helped that it's been very dry here this spring. I'll be seeding in the fall, I guess.

 

[amcstay]

We were having the same problem, and decided that they just could not free range all day, we needed the grass and weeds to hold the soil in place during our rainy season..... Now, we keep them in their run all day until the evening when we let them out for two hours. It has helped some and now they have discovered the bushy area between our property and our neighbors....

You might try leaving them in a run for most of the day until your grass starts to grow back.

 

[Debi214]

Quote:
Really EVERYWHERE?

I think it's all on my deck! LOL.

No way! I am sure it is all here in my backyard and on my decks! LOL!!!!

 

[Wiljay]

Chicken poop IS fertilizer and adding more (if chicken poop is in fact at fault) would only excacerbate the problem. Grubs and fungus can also cause a circular pattern of yellowing. Take a soil sample and grass plug in to a nursery they'll probably be able to pin down the culprit.

 

[ecopepper]

Possibly goto Sams Wholesale and get the $40.00 composter and then get bale of hay and layer poo with hay and leave for a year and you've got some great fertilizer to spread...you must water it tho because the hay/straw dryes fast...it's a type of layer compost.... but in order to do that you need to keep them in restricted areas and let them roam sometimes....at least this is my plan...I have a pool so I have to restrict them somewhat or they will go "in the drink"!! A rotation is your best bet...then you might have a bit of both!! I am new so this is just thoughts and research! Wet poop is too strong for any plant!!

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

My girls are out in a travel cage most days, 10-14 hours a day, weather permitting on our grass. The grass looks like it is dying for about 2 weeks before bouncing back looking much healthier than the areas they haven't been in. As I don't care for lawns (wasted space for the most part IMHO, but it's a rental house), I don't do anything beside mowing. They fertilize the areas where the cage has been effectively.