Rotating runs for grass.

[NatJ]

Well... guess we need to limit access to less than that! Probably wouldnt need to let them in there if they will be out half the day or more. Our thought on adding this was to have a safe place for them to have grass when they cant be out to free range. Thank you for your help.

You could let them into the grass area for only an hour or so on days with no ranging, and not at all on days when they can range. That would let them eat some grass, but limit how much damage they do.

No matter what you decide, you can certainly watch how well the grass holds up, and adjust how much access you give them. If it starts looking sad, you could keep them out until it recovers, rather than giving them more chances to finish killing it.

 

[Percheron chick]

Grass pasture needs a minimum of 21days to rest, recover and regrow under ideal conditions. Good soil, adequate water and no disturbance. One day on, one day off will just slow the progression of a bare run.

 

[Mamagirl3]

Thank you to each that offered their thoughts on this issue.
We are taking some of several suggestions! Hubby made 2 sections of 4X3 landscape timbers covered with hardware cloth to save those 2 patches. Will build 2 more in existing pen to seed in spring. Of course they will have no access to that area on days they out half or more of the day. Also, this new pen is only wire covered on top while a great portion of the first pen is covered ...leaving days of rain, melting snow etc they will not be in the new pen. Days that they get to go in the new area we will limit time. This is our plans to begin end of this week. Again thank you for all your brilliant ideas!

 

[Possum-Pie]

To give you an idea, we have 4 hens and 1 rooster. We had a 12X40 ft run which is now just dirt. We added a mobile tractor which is 12X5 feet and can be moved around. They turn thick lush grass in that into bare dirt in a few weeks. Recently we added on to our 12X40 run and made it 12X100 feet. within a month the 4 hens and 1 rooster turned it into bare dirt.
We built 2X2 ft frames and put hardware cloth over them. Put them in the run and planted grass in them. When the grass is tall enough to poke through the cloth and be pecked at, the roots are strong enough to prevent the grass from being pulled out.

 

[Mamagirl3]

To give you an idea, we have 4 hens and 1 rooster. We had a 12X40 ft run which is now just dirt. We added a mobile tractor which is 12X5 feet and can be moved around. They turn thick lush grass in that into bare dirt in a few weeks. Recently we added on to our 12X40 run and made it 12X100 feet. within a month the 4 hens and 1 rooster turned it into bare dirt.
We built 2X2 ft frames and put hardware cloth over them. Put them in the run and planted grass in them. When the grass is tall enough to poke through the cloth and be pecked at, the roots are strong enough to prevent the grass from being pulled out.

Thank you so much.