Questions about grass clippings!!

[Wynette]

I've wondered about volume; when I take grass clippings in, I usually bring quite a lot; enough to almost fill a 3# horse supplement bucket, for those that know that size - maybe 1/2 gallon ice cream container size? They REALLY go after it, and I've wondered if maybe I'm putting too much out at once?

 

[MissChessy]

Dang, I give my girls grass cuttings all the time, never had a problem yet. When they free range, they go hog wild on grass clippings... long and short.

 

[arlee453]

I think short strands of fresh grass are fine as long as there were no chemicals on the lawn and they have grit or access to dirt/gravel, etc.

 

[Ga Chicken Mom]

We don't have any grass on our property - we're in the forest - but occasionally I walk to a small, open grass lot and pull fresh grass for the girls. The grass is natural - not chemically treated or near a road. I cut the long blades into smaller pieces and the chickies love it. No problems and they have been eating this grass about 2 x's a month, summer through fall, last year and also this spring. Last fall they got the seed heads.

 

[ascott1978]

My chickens run to the fence when I come out. Instead out weed-eating around the pen, I just pull it and throw it to them. They go wild and love it. I've been doing it for about a year now, and I haven't had anything bad happen.

 

[patandchickens]

The reason it's unwise to feed lawn clippings to horses or goats or whatnot is that a) if there is any delay at all between the cutting and the eating, they can start to heat up and ferment, which can do Bad Things to the animal's digestion; and b) they can pack into a choking mass in the animal's throat, because of their consistency.

I should not think that SMALL amounts of FRESH or WELL DRIED (nothing in between) lawn clippings should pose a threat to chickens, and mine in the tractor certainly eat whatever gets flung their way by our rather erratic mulching mower. I sure wouldn't dump a great bucket of 'em at the chickens, though... as with so many things in life, you might get away with it for a while but why take the risk.

JMO,

Pat

 

[Wynette]

Thanks, Pat. I'm changing my routine with grass clippings immediately.

 

[s6bee]

Small amounts should be OK, but what heard is that chickens just snip the tips of the grass blades and so grass clippings tend to be longer posing the crop issues.

 

[fowlplay]

OK, now I'm nervous...lol. When we put the chicks out in their new coop for the first time last weekend, I bought 2 bales of hay and put them in the coop and arranged them to sorta offer them a cozy little corner area near the heat lamp. Not sure it really accomplished that much, but it made me feel better! lol. The chicks now like to pick at the hay, not sure if they're actually eating it or not, but if they are, is it ok? Advice would be greatly appreciated. If it's even slightly harmful to them, I'm pulling it.
Thanks so much

 

[TMNTCkins]

Our chickens free range with our horses so they have grass hay every day. We also feed our grass clippings to all of them. The grass is fresh and does not last long with all the horses but the chickens don't really pay much attention to the grass of the hay, mabey its because they get it all the time? Our girls would rather have the left overs from dinner.