Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: MrTwang on February 23, 2012, 23:47

Title: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: MrTwang on February 23, 2012, 23:47

Hi all, this weekend my wife and I are going on a course about chooks!
We know we want them and have the coop already in place but want to make sure we fully understand what we are letting ourselves in for!

Now back to the question.. Our back garden has a bit of moss in a certain area. Will the Chooks eat this and if so is it harmfull to them in any way?

To be honest from everything I have lernt on here I don't think I will hear much at the weekend that I haven't read on here already! This is a brilliant forum and full of great information.

Paul.

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: nerdle on February 23, 2012, 23:54

Whaaa thank yuuuuuu!
My hen has scratched up load of moss but doesn't eat it.  I've gathered it ready to put on top of pot plants  (a bit like they do in garden centres).

I've beeen assured hens won't eat slug pellets - not risking it anyway.... that was my concern when I started out.

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: hen-night on February 24, 2012, 09:05

Hi and welcome, agree with nerdle hens make brilliant moss removers,but hav'nt seen them eating any..Aden..

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: Casey76 on February 24, 2012, 09:36

I'm afraid my *cough* lawn is more moss than grass after my chickens were finished with it  :mad:

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: helens-hens on February 24, 2012, 10:15

Mine would have to be different  ::), they do actually pick at it & eat some but it doesn't seem to have done them any harm.

As Casey says, after the mainly damp winter we have had, 'ploughed field' describes better what is behind our house, rather than 'lawn'!

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: MrTwang on February 24, 2012, 10:32

That's good news! I have been looking for an excuse to re-turf my lawn for a while now.. We have very fine fragile grass and I can't stand it. Compleatly wrong for our garden!

We want children as well as chickens so will have to come up with something.

Thanks,
Paul.

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: lmpd on February 24, 2012, 11:45

I seriously would not bother re-turfing if you're going to introduce chickens. I can pretty much guarantee that your lawn will look like the aftermath of Glastonbury festival a few weeks after introducing chickens!!!

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: dugless on February 24, 2012, 12:29

Quote from: lmpd on February 24, 2012, 11:45

I seriously would not bother re-turfing if you're going to introduce chickens. I can pretty much guarantee that your lawn will look like the aftermath of Glastonbury festival a few weeks after introducing chickens!!!

I definitely second that, when I put four ex bats in my orchard there was not a blade of grass or weeds after a few weeks :) :)

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: compostqueen on February 24, 2012, 12:45

My husband did not want hens on his lawn but he got them but he was a changed man when upon gazing on of the bedroom window at his sward he saw that the patch that had  had the hens on it was greener than the rest. They had raked out the moss and eaten the daisies and weeds out of it. He loved them after that but I had to keep filling in their divots with turfs cut from his least visited bits of lawn, hoping he wouldn't notice  8)

I bought a netting corale from Omlet so I could move them round the lawn

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: SMS6 on February 24, 2012, 13:10

we've been moving ours around our grass areas since we had them back in June and they've done a brilliant job of scarifying the moss out and up until winter set in our grass was looking better than it has done for years.

Now they are restricted to a none grass area and have been for a month or so to let the grass recover - mainly because it got so wet and boggy

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: 8doubles on February 24, 2012, 15:09

My hens graze the moss seed heads http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildcardinal/6178741826/   off the lawn edgings as soon as it grows back .
No ill effects so far. :)

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: ANHBUC on February 24, 2012, 15:10

Quote from: lmpd on February 24, 2012, 11:45

I seriously would not bother re-turfing if you're going to introduce chickens. I can pretty much guarantee that your lawn will look like the aftermath of Glastonbury festival a few weeks after introducing chickens!!!

Ours looks like the Battle of the Somme with deep holes dug in it.  It is their own area so I don't mind.  We did turf it last year and it lasted right up to the start of winter which I thought was good going.  They are happy scratting around and then enjoy an hour or so in the rest of the garden so they don't wreck our lawn.  Won't bother returfing this year though.   ::)

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: compostqueen on February 24, 2012, 16:37

They scratch up loads of moss bless them. It doesn't compost though, well not in under 20 years  :D, so I put it in the council bin.  'bout the only thing that does go in there :)

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: ehs284 on February 24, 2012, 18:49

Quote from: MrTwang on February 24, 2012, 10:32

That's good news! I have been looking for an excuse to re-turf my lawn for a while now.. We have very fine fragile grass and I can't stand it. Compleatly wrong for our garden!

We want children as well as chickens so will have to come up with something.

Thanks,
Paul.

HoHoHo ...lawn, chickens and children HoHoHo

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: themagicaltoad1 on February 24, 2012, 20:12

Quote from: ehs284 on February 24, 2012, 18:49

Quote from: MrTwang on February 24, 2012, 10:32

That's good news! I have been looking for an excuse to re-turf my lawn for a while now.. We have very fine fragile grass and I can't stand it. Compleatly wrong for our garden!

We want children as well as chickens so will have to come up with something.

Thanks,
Paul.

HoHoHo ...lawn, chickens and children HoHoHo

yes, I had a good laugh at that as well :D

Title: Re: Will my soon to be Hens eat my moss in my grass?
Post by: MrTwang on February 26, 2012, 08:57

Quote from: themagicaltoad1 on February 24, 2012, 20:12

Quote from: ehs284 on February 24, 2012, 18:49

Quote from: MrTwang on February 24, 2012, 10:32

That's good news! I have been looking for an excuse to re-turf my lawn for a while now.. We have very fine fragile grass and I can't stand it. Compleatly wrong for our garden!

We want children as well as chickens so will have to come up with something.

Thanks,
Paul.

HoHoHo ...lawn, chickens and children HoHoHo

yes, I had a good laugh at that as well :D

Yes, that has actually made me chuckle as well now!

In 1 hour I'm off on my chicken course with the Mrs! Then when I get home it's time to start building the run... Getting rather excited now!