till the run?

[Leah S]

do any of you till your run? my neighbor said that's what one of his friends does. mine is hard packed dirt and think it's a great idea. for those of who do it, are there any health benefits to it? I know they love the garden when it gets tilled, so why not do their run!
Leah S

 

[Fred's Hens]

Yes, as we move the run around, we till it up. The birds devastate the area, so unless we re-plant, nothing but a few weeds would grow. We make runs using poly deer netting and set some $1.99 poles in the ground and zip tie the netting to it. We use the same system to protect the gardens from deer, etc.

 

[chfite]

I till my run a couple of times a year. The chickens compact the soil so much that the loose soil seems to encourage scratching in the run. Of course, they forage all day long. Scratching in the run is something they do only in the morning while they are waiting for the dogs to finish eating.

Chris

 

[loveourbirds]

I have some 8x8 tractors that I have been thinking about tilling an area for. keep in mind this is only lightly researched.

1 want to till an 8x16 area where the chickens have been, and sow it to oats. when the oats are 2-3 inches tall I want to move the tractor over one section of it. then till the 8x16 area next to it and sew it in oats. as the oat "grass" gets about 3-4 inches I plan on moving the tractors, tilling and resowing every time I move it.

I have chosen oats to this point because I know they will take the nitrogen/ammonia and still sprout. im not sure of the nutritional value, but it has to be better than dirt. (I think)