Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: john d on January 25, 2018, 20:54

Title: hen run advice
Post by: john d on January 25, 2018, 20:54
my hen run is bare and was thinking about putting down grass seed can anyone give me some advice thanks John
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: New shoot on January 25, 2018, 21:12
Hi John and welcome  :)

Are the hens still using the run?  I don't think grass seed will survive long if they are and any tiny green shoot that does appear will be pecked up in an instant.
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: Sassy on January 31, 2018, 09:12
That's if the seed doesn't get eaten first!  :D
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: Toosje on February 21, 2018, 11:10
What I do is: close off a patch for a while, loosen the soil, press chicken wire in it, sow grains and grass seeds and when it is big enough let them roam again (2 tot 3 cm). The chicken wire will prevent them from scratching everything  out of the soil again. It will keep for quite some time :)

This way they always have a green patch, loose patch and under the coop a dry patch for bathing.

Depending on te temperature you should be able to start this in a few weeks.

When everything is bare and the temperature to low you can hang up lettuce to keep them busy.
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: Sassy on February 21, 2018, 15:05
Only a small amount of lettuce is suitable for feeding to chooks otherwise they will get the runs! Hanging a cabbage would be better  :)
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: Toosje on February 21, 2018, 15:51
Sassy, my silkies don't eat cabbage.. Maybe there are more chickens who don't?
So I give them half a lettuce (for three c). Normally I let them free range in the afternoon, but like today, this is not possible and they get this half and will eat from it until tomorrow midday. After that they free range again.

Do you think this is to much?
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: Mr R Design on February 22, 2018, 06:35
Half a lettuce between 3 is fine. Switch it to once every other day if you want. Cabbage is better though as other than moisture there is not a lot of 'goodness' for them in the lettuce.

When hanging it up cut some scores into a part of the cabbage so they can easily get their beaks in to break pieces off as this helps to get them started. Hang it at a height just above their heads so they can easily duck when it swings.

Also try chopping a third of a small cabbage into pellet size chunks and put it in the run in a bowl, I will be surprised if they do not eat it and at least you will then know that they are not cabbage adverse.

(It is normal for them to chuck everything out of the bowl onto the floor!!!)
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: Toosje on February 22, 2018, 08:31
Mr R Design, I will give the chopping up a go.

The three big ones will eat about anything that fits in their beaks but the three silkies (haha my autospelling changed is toe sillies :tongue2: that's suiting as well) are very picky about food, always have been..
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: Sassy on February 28, 2018, 12:37
Hi Toosje

If they were mine I would go to half a lettuce every other day as suggested by R design, if I was going to feed it it which is unlikely  :wacko:. His advice re cabbage very good as well.
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: grinling on March 01, 2018, 21:27
mine don't like savoy cabbage but like sweetheart instead. They also enjoy spinach. Think about adding grit.
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: Toosje on March 08, 2018, 12:52
Here the same: no savoy.. not even chopped to little bits for both flocks. I will try sweet heart next time.

There is always a tray with grits under the coop.

I just realized this topic started of with john asking for advise about his run!
We did a got job getting distracted. :)
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: Aidy on March 08, 2018, 13:20
Mine love Kale (Nero di Toscana)

Back on thread, how big is the run and how high? What I have done is to build boxes with chicken wire laid on top at 3cm above the surface, this allows them to graze on the grass, once it has been mowed down I take it out and replace with one ready, they dont get it every day but once a week a box will be ready to go in.
Title: Re: hen run advice
Post by: rowbow on March 13, 2018, 09:59
Why not grow some in a seed tray, seed tray, kitchen roll sheet on the bottom water too make moist, mixed fresh corn spread on the on the surface, propagator lid, watch for shoots, remove the lid, keep moist until it reaches the desired height, lift out, pull paper off the roots, feed to your birds, you can give them sections of the growth, but keep the remaining moist, for succession planting, add new seed to another tray before the other is used.
GM seed will not sprout, best to get organic.  :)