Raised beds in Chicken run?

[sunflour]

Sunflour, thank you for the response and information. Not sure where to start the new member thread... Great Idea, I will see if I can figure that out. Thank you!

Here's the link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/44/new-member-introductions

tell them Sunflower sent you

 

[lynnehd]

Tried the raised mesh. The birds loved to rest on top and poop into them and suffocate any plants in them as result.

They do take some maintenance ....
....I raise them up (for maybe 20 minutes-no more) once in awhile the let them 'clean' them out, with a little help from me and my rake.

I seed mine, then let them have at it as the sprouts grow. All I do is knock off leaves and the occasional poop now and then.
I use a mix of grasses and broadleaved greens and weeds; they chickens can get them all through 1/2" mesh once they reach the mesh.
They need to be reseeded about every 3 months.

 

[CrAZyChickLady1]

Perfect!! I appreciate the link... just started a thread. I gave you a shout out

You are the BEST! Thank you!!

 

[attimus]

I built a dozen or so of these frames last year. It'll give plants the space to get established.
They weren't precision crafted but did the trick? I love those graising frames tho, might set up a few this year.
Attimus

 

[aart]

I seed mine, then let them have at it as the sprouts grow. All I do is knock off leaves and the occasional poop now and then.
I use a mix of grasses and broadleaved greens and weeds; they chickens can get them all through 1/2" mesh once they reach the mesh.
They need to be reseeded about every 3 months.

I've found that when seeding it's good to put another frame over top until plant roots are well established,
or they pull the entire plant out of the ground instead of nipping off the tops.

 

[sunflour]

I built a dozen or so of these frames last year. It'll give plants the space to get established.
They weren't precision crafted but did the trick? I love those graising frames tho, might set up a few this year.
Attimus

Very nice. Is that inside the run or beside the run?

 

[attimus]

Very nice.  Is that inside the run or beside the run?

Inside a rather large run though they free range every day from Dawn to dusk, that is also an old picture from before the bad drought we had here.
Attimus

 

[sunflour]

Inside a rather large run though they free range every day from Dawn to dusk, that is also an old picture from before the bad drought we had here.
Attimus

Thanks.

 

[chick-a- doodle]

I seed mine, then let them have at it as the sprouts grow. All I do is knock off leaves and the occasional poop now and then. 
I use a mix of grasses and broadleaved greens and weeds; they chickens can get them all through 1/2" mesh once they reach the mesh.
They need to be reseeded about every 3 months.
[/quote]

What is the mix of grasses and broadleaved greens you use?

 

[chick-a- doodle]

Tried the raised mesh. The birds loved to rest on top and poop into them and suffocate any plants in them as result.

 
They do take some maintenance ....
....I raise them up (for maybe 20 minutes-no more) once in awhile the let them 'clean' them out, with a little help from me and my rake.

I seed mine, then let them have at it as the sprouts grow. All I do is knock off leaves and the occasional poop now and then. 
I use a mix of grasses and broadleaved greens and weeds; they chickens can get them all through 1/2" mesh once they reach the mesh.
They need to be reseeded about every 3 months.

Sorry, I still can't get the hang of this reply stuff! What mix of grasses and broad-leaved greens and weeds do you use?