USED to have grass before chickens-HELP!!

[BDutch]

No way am I walking barefoot in an area chickens have access to. Have you seen what comes out of them? I'd rather get stung by a bee than clean chicken poo from between my toes.

The tiny poo of my tiny chickens just disappears into the grass. Most of it anyway and I can’t recall it ever got between my toes.

Mdh did get a sting once in blooming clover . After a very dry summer only the hardest grasses and moss returned. The clover didn’t return so now we do enjoy our uglier but soft green carpet to the full.

Btw: I do keep the chickens inside most of the day and certainly until they are ready with their morning poo. And I might be lucky that there are more interesting spots to visit then the ‘lawn’ for the chickens to leave their flags . They don’t like to stroll in an open field for a long time. I do admit, on the terraces the poop is a nuisance. Luckily I have a broom . Flies and rain help too to clean it all up too.

 

[Mach 2]

Don't know if anyone mentioned this but we had the same problem, especially the most common path to drive to the barn it's just grass but thin and compacted.

We bought a couple of rolls of rolled excelsior.

https://www.siteone.com/en/landscape-supply-erosion-control/c/sh1213101100

It worked well and wasn't too expensive. Another year we scattered some of our hay over the seed and dealt with the weeds or volunteers after the grass was established.

 

[Dishens]

Unless you are going to manage your chickens in a rotating pasture style, moving them from field to field as recently decimated greenery recovers, or you plan to expand your yard to acreage size, mud pits where once green grass grew is your future "yard".

Uncoated seed is available in bulk, you didn't identify your location (and you should!), but I've used this with decent [not good/great] results. I've also applied a no till cover crop, AND I've applied a goat and similar livestock grass blend, so my pasture has lots of options. It does not, however, resemble a yard - its too patchwork in size and color.

Good luck!

Do the chickens eat the seed before cut sprouts? I would love to try this.

 

[BDutch]

Not sure if anyone suggested this yet - sorry if it's redundant - but if you want to keep free ranging the chickens you could just put a temporary fence around the area you want to reseed. You can get cheap plastic fencing on amazon or wherever, easy to set up, then just take it down once grass has regrown. I've also used this method in my garden since I usually let my chickens free range for a couple hours in the evening.

Good idea except for the cheap plastic (imo). Why not buy something that lasts longer. Good fence can be reused over and over again. I bought more expensive panels with 2x2” wire. I reuse these panels for all kind if purposes.