Polyethylene fencing, ground cover for run?

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

I'm wondering if this polyethylene poultry fencing could be used on the ground of my run and have grass grow through it. Would it keep the turf from turning to mud? Would it hurt the chickens' feet?

http://www.gemplers.com/product/10804/Green-Poultry-Fencing-4x50

 

[tri-5-ron]

on the ground, and prior to seeding for grass, it should not hurt the chickens feet, due to they will be walking on the grass, and/or the fencing itself, would be on the ground.
no, it would not do anything to help the ground from turning to mud.
The grass itself would be doing that.

What would be your intended purpose for the fencing on the ground?
it would do nothing to protect from predators, they could tear/chew right through it.

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

Quote:
Purpose would only be to keep the chickens from scratching up the grass.

 

[Quailbuddy]

Quote:
Purpose would only be to keep the chickens from scratching up the grass.

It wouldnt do anything for kepping the grass alive . . . just grow grass and it will do that itself, the problem people run into is that they plant grass but the chooks like to tear and fluff it up then thats when you get mud if it rains . . .
check into better drainage for your run

 

[gsim]

Quote:

Interesting thing because I installed 600 sp ft of that in order to protect grass so chooks would have live greens every day. Seems not to be working as it was thriving and now looks to be barren. Am now thinking their poop would coat it to where the sunlight would not get thru anyway. I too was hoping to be able to grow grass. I used the 1/2" square stuff that is a plastic version of hardware cloth mesh. It is sturdier than what you are wanting to use. It will keep them from ripping the grass up by the roots, if only the grass would grow. I rototilled mine and seeded it and fed it 4 times this past winter and had a good start that I had to mow before installing the mesh. Now it appears to have died, or chooks picked every blade out. I can not tell that I ever seeded it now and it has only been 2 months tops since I finished it and let them loose on it.

I hope yours works out better than mine did. I am planting a mulberry tree in the run and will keep it topped to resemble a large bush. Also I am planting 4 cherry tomato plants in the run and will let them at those when they bear fruit.

 

[patandchickens]

Yeah, it is not worth bothering with as it will do no good whatsoever for grass or mud-prevention, all it will do is annoy the chickens by preventing them from exercising their strong natural instincts to scratch and dust-bathe.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

All right, you guys have convinced me this isn't such a great idea and I THANK YOU!! I don't like spending money on ideas that don't work.

 

[pheonixstar15a]

Chickens will scratch and eat anything green and eatable, the tomato plants wont make it long enough to bear fruit if you plant it anywhere that they can get to it. When i first made my chicken yard, it was full of weeds and ginger lillys had almost taken it over, they were also growing outside the yard. now i have bare dirt yard with all of the surrounding vegetation eaten all around the yard as far as they can stick their necks out of the wire, so if you want to plant anything around the chicken run, be sure your fence is a very mesh wire at least along the bottom, so they cannot stick their heads out and eat it all. You have to remember a chickens life is all about scratching and pecking, thats all they do all day. I live in Florida so i have a lot of Spanish moss in my trees, i experimented with feeding that to them, they love it. When i weed my garden or flower beds i take the weeds to them also, leftovers from the kitchen, greens from the garden all go to the chickens. Also if you decide to let them run free for a while, i do mine sometimes about an hour before sunset, so they dont do too much damage before they go into the coop on their own. anyway if you have a garden or flower bed it needs to be protected. But i still love my girls and are about to get another batch soon.