Rotating the Range (Run Location)

[sierranomad]

Author Gail Damerow recommends, if possible, rotating the chicken range to prevent too much build-up of parasites and disease in the soil.

My dilemna: My run space, while well more than the *minimum* 10sf per bird, is not spacious. 6 birds, run 15 x 20 (Chicken math will not result in more birds...really my goal is 3 or 4. I got 6 figuring that one or two would either not survive to adulthood or end up being a roo).

So 3-6 birds in a run 15x20. I could cut this in half with inexpensive plastic netting. This would result in 2 15x10 runs. Then after a year(?) I could allow the run they've been in to rest/recuperate while putting them on the other side. 150 sf doesn't seem like a lot of space for 3-6 birds. But it would be nice to allow the range to rest periodically. Any input from those with experience in this?

Thank you,

JOn

 

[yyz0yyz0]

don't have experience with rotating run space but have a few observations.

while 150sq/ft might seem small, I think it depends more on what they have to do in there to keep them occupied than the raw size.

for instance, the same number of birds in a fresh greened up run vs in a run that's completely stripped of any vegetation. With the new run they'll have lots of bugs/grass/seeds/greens to hunt for so their boredom level should be lower than if the run is just bare dirt.

do your birds get out to free range at all? Does make a difference in the boredom also.

if I had your space and birds I'd consider dividing the space into 4 quadrants and rotating them through more often. It works best if you can keep the run from getting stripped completely which will happen with 1yr intervals. It will take a long time reseed and regrow the old run section from bare dirt to something that will last more than a couple days of chickens scratching. I think I'd rotate on a 1month or less interval. The more divisions you have the quicker you can move to a new section. It will work best if you can get the chickens off a section before they completely strip it, recovery will be much faster that way. Try to just let them mow the grass then move to new section and mow again.

google "rotating chicken pasture" and you'll find some links on doing this.

Another option, depending on the shape of your run, would be to divide it into one permanent section with multiple "pasture/freerange" sections. They will completely strip the main section over time and you can open pasture sections to them as they recover and are ready. That way you can let all the pastures recover if needed and always have a nice green section to let them into.

 

[sierranomad]

Thanks for the good suggestions. This is my first time with chickens in 40 years. I haven't let them free range yet...guess I'm a little nervous of predators as hawks are pretty frequent visitors. I like the idea of dividing into 4 and rotating every month but this rotation idea is new to me and the coop/run set-up I have wouldn't allow for that. Maybe I'll divide into two, and rotate them over before they completely strip, as you suggested. Hopefully it will be able to regrow before they strip the other side. I'll see. Thanks again!

 

[wjpike1]

Do you have to reseed after you move the run? My 3 chickens decimate a 6x6 pen in a week and it's not growing back very fast!