Need to Seed...the lawn!

[callieriggs]

So we mowed our lawn for the first time this season last weekend. the area in front of our coop REALLY needs to be reseeded. We know we should seed in the fall, but we didn't! It wasn't that bad then. It is going to turn into a mud pit when it rains. So we want to buy some grass seed and grow whatever we can in the spring before it gets too hot. My husband wants to buy one of the fancy seeds that comes with fertilizer or the special water holding coating or both. Truthfully, those sound great and I would love to do that too.... However, we have our girls and they free range during the day. What can we plant without causing issues for our chickens? Thanks for the help!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Those options likely have components that would be harmful to chickens. Even plain grass seed has fungicides and other seed treatments not likely good for chickens.
I hate to give you bad news but here's more. You won't get much of a stand of grass there again unless you can change the chickens' traffic patterns.
Greenery doesn't grow in front of chicken pens because of compaction and excess phosphorus.

 

[glib]

agree with CC on all counts. If it was my lawn, I would temporarily keep them off the lawn, and seed with hardier faster growing plants, which will get destroyed too, but will at least break some compaction and soak up some nutrients. Think cover crops. Right now rye will do well, later in summer you can get two feet of growth of sudangrass in a month. Use temporary fences, keep them inside, or accept the mud pit.

 

[Tika75]

I don't know if this is an option or not, but what about making a border there and filling it in with decorative rock or small gravel? Like the others said it will be hard to grow grass there and this would help keep the mud away.