Pasturing Hens

[Preserving Life]

Our 25 hens are free-ranging on "pasture". We fence them in a large yard to keep them out of our vegetable gardens and to protect them from coyotes and hawks (we cover their yard) which are actively seeking prey where we live. Our hens have access to a hen house all day--a decidedly non-mobile hen house. Their yard started off grassing, but they scratched and ate it down to nothing rapidly. We've added grazing frames to try to keep them on grass--but are having a hard time getting the grass to grow well--probably too much nitrogen from their poop. Have any of you found a way to keep hens on pasture without giving them total free reign or moving them around in mobile coops? Neither of those are particularly practical for us.

 

[Den in Penn]

Multiple pasture areas if you have the space. My barn hasn't moved since it was built. They have a fixed run and poultry netting I move every week.