Newbie. How much grass/dirt do chickens need?

[frankengirl]

Hi everyone! My name is Jen and as soon as my husband and I buy a house here in Los Angeles I get to have chickens! the coop will follow city ordinances and the area doesn't have many natural predators.
My question is, a potentional home we may buy has a mostly concrete backyard. There is a small patch of dirt and foliage of about 2 feet by 5 feet. I'm guessing chickens need to forage and I'm not sure if that's not enough dirt for them to peck in. Tearing up some concrete is an expensive but doable option. I'm planning on having 3-4 chickens.
Thank you so much.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Concrete actually makes a nice base for a chicken coop/run, it is good against digging predators and tends to be dryer and easier to clean. Usually sand/dirt is put on the concrete in the run, and sand or shavings in the coop. Chickens will pretty much destroy anything in their run, so they don't need forage in there as such, you can feed them greens and other treats.

 

[frankengirl]

Thank you! That is a huge relief! Any tips for breeds that would do well in dry LA? We aren't getting much rain here but the coop would be in the shade to protect them from the heat. Silkies are at the top of my list right now, although I'm concerned about how I would cope with the broodiness. I'm picturing letting the chickens roam free around my enclosed backyard when I could supervise them. Is that a thing people do?

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to the Backyard chickens flock. Yes, it's a good idea to supervise them when they are loose in your backyard. You never know when a hawk will take sight of them. T
They have adapted very well to living near people and even in high rise places in big cities. Other predators to worry about are neighbors who let their dogs run amuck in the neighborhood, and cats manage well to ambush chicks and small adults.

 

[frankengirl]

Great advice! What I don't understand about apartment chickens is, don't they need to go outside and peck around to be happy? Are they just as happy having a nice coop and a concrete yard to explore?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! I have my chickens on concrete in an enclosed run. One with some wood chip in and the others with gravel. It does make for easy cleaning and they are quite happy being in. They get treats and I have a hanging treat feeder hung up. You can also hang things like a whole cabbage up it provides lots of entertainment for them. I let them out in the garden when I can supervise them. I have polish and they get lost easily because they can't see very well. You could also add a dust bath for them in their run. This provides something for them to do aswell. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/dust-baths-what-they-are-and-why-they-are-important

Good luck with your new chicken adventure and enjoy BYC

 

[N F C]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Chickens are pretty adaptable and as long as they are properly taken care of, well nourished and not crowded, they do well in lots of settings. As @drumstick diva mentions, there are predators in every setting so it's always wise to be alert. Here's a link that will tell you about the most common ones and how to protect your birds:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-predators-pests-how-to-protect-treat-your-flock

Hope you get your new home and flock soon, chickens are fun!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[frankengirl]

Thanks a million for your replies. Now I feel really confident about being able to give the chickens a happy and safe yard. This is so exciting.

 

[N F C]

It is and fun too! You're going to do fine, just post (under whichever forum seems to best fit the question) and remember, no question is silly. Everyone was new at some point.