Tips on keeping chickens busy so they don't wipe out grass in the run?

[Mr_Jeff]

You can pretty much say good bye to your grass. There's not much you can do unless you have more than one run to rotate between and give the grass a chance to recover.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
Yea, instead of three days, it'll probably take a week

One option is to plan for them to have 2 or more different yards to run in, and when one yard is beaten down & eaten up, you can plant something like clover in it & switch the birds to another pen.

That would work, if you've got the room. My chickens denuded their run in three days (it's 18x18', 15 chickens). I let them out in the evening, where they have free run of the backyard, a huge compost area, lots of weeds and grass to nibble on. That seems to satisfy their greens needs.​

 

[dlhunicorn]

eTA: Chickens are relatively intelligent and they get BORED... when they get bored they scratch and scratch and scratch...
Even though I have over 13 chickens for a relatively small lawn , it is surrounding by lots of other areas (patio hedge etc. etc. surrounding the small grass lawn) which keeps them occupied...
... and I STILL have to change their feeding bowls etc. when I notice that they are getting bored (oh my then everybody rushes over all excited even though it is the same feed in it LOL)

 

[newchicksnducks]

You say you don't want to use a tractor in case the tractor was tipped over. If you have mesh on all sides, including the bottom, grass would still protrude and you would have fencing on all sides. Possible option.

 

[starforever61]

Thanks so much for the awesome ideas! I like the chicken tractor with wire mesh on all sides idea, and the rotation idea, and I think I'll probably go with the tractor idea and the one idea that says to put sand in part of the coop so they can dig in that instead of the grass. You guys are awesome! Thank you so much!!!!!!!

 

[onedozenphyllises]

If you go with a tractor, make sure it is one that you can move easily, otherwise you won't move it nearly as often as needed, and you'll be in the same predicament (ask me how I know)! They will destroy the grass far quicker than you could ever imagine. Even if you move it every day, you'll still be able to see a difference between the fresh patch and the patch they were just on! Seriously, though, rotating areas does help a lot, as does giving them sand, snacks, etc.

Good luck!

 

[dtimms]

They are making such a mess under my tractor that it's just not worth it to rehab the area after moving the coop!!!

What about grass clippings thrown into the run, especially after it's beat up? Anyone tried that?

 

[dlhunicorn]

when the birds eat the grass themselves you will see they take tiny tiny nips... they are unable to do this with clippings and if they eat it it will go in whole and often this is involved in crop impaction.

 

[dtimms]

Quote:
Oooohh.... that's not good. So much for that idea!

 

[dlhunicorn]

I honestly dont know how you guys deal with this when you have large numbers of birds... (I have between 14 en 24 (dependent upon chickies) > my birds spend a LOT of time on my paved patio (I have the big cement pavers used for sidewalks) > I feed them only on the patio as they make such a mess with their feed ... I have spaces where I have plants (bamboo and shrubs they cant destroy) and little places such as potted plants they can sit on or poke around too....
I clean it every evening and once a week scrub it down> if THAT were in my lawn... I'd never get it clean and my lawn would be ruined and a stinking mess after a while....