Sod inside the run??

[HilltopFarm]

My run is 15' x 20' and it's all dirt, I was thinking about putting a small section of grass sod inside for something besides dirt for them to pick through.

What's your thoughts??

 

[chiknwhisperer]

I was wanting to do the same thing this year. I'll be very interested in seeing what others have to say.

 

[Chicken Woman]

Sod is spendy and won't last long in the run. They will eat and scratch for awhile until yout have dirt once again !

I ordered a load of sand and put it about 3 inches deep. They like dust bathing and it is easy to rake and get poo out. it also helps keep the run from being muddy.

IM sure they would like the sod very much for the time it can withstand there torture.

 

[patandchickens]

Also, commercial sod is treated with all sorts of Stuff and you don't know what's in the soil either. Stripped sod from your own property is fine - but it will not last more than a couple days *max*.

It is not hard to provide them with PLENTY of fun green stuff to scratch through and investigate and eat and so forth. All my garden weedings and veg garden 'culls' and giant anthills and sod stripped for new garden beds or edging goes into the chicken run (as do hay sweepings from the barn) -- and they have a marvellous time investigating it all and scratching and sifting through and eating all the yummy bits

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[gumpsgirl]

You could add sod, but it won't last long. The chickens won't only pick through it, they will eat and scratch it out of existence. I personally wouldn't spend the money on it.

 

[C_Dzchicks]

You could section off a little area in your coop and put the sod down and then say like once a week let them have a field day in the sod as a treat (ie they only have access once a week for a day/half a day) then let it grow back more. Just an idea since I know all the other people will probably just say it won't last long. And they are correct if chickens have access to it all the time. Kind of like a chicken tractor. Have a default worn out spot that they graze down to dirt and you can leave them on indefinetly but also put them on fresh grass occasionally for better foraging and get them off of it before they wear it down irreparably. I like this idea b/c it allows my peeps to have treats. A change of pace so to speak.

 

[Equus5O]

Hilltop ... I saw an ad on Craigslist for sod for a chicken run. Was that you? LOL

 

[justhatchin]

I have some 2x4's about a 2 ft square nailed together with hail screen on top (nailed down). I put this in the run last year and this year the grass looked good for a while but they stood and pooped on top of it too much and the grass is kindof dieing out, but not totally. It works for a while.

 

[kinnip]

We have several of those underbed, plastic storage bins. We fill them with dirt and plant grass or sunflowers. When they are sufficiently green, we wheel them in and let the girls have at it. When they're decimated, we replant using the same poopy soil. By the end of summer, we have some seriously pooped up dirt to toss in the compost heap.

 

[chickens3]

If you put grass in the run make sure you put the seed under the ground becuz the chickens will eat the seeds.