[burrjulie]

We are thinking of having 2/3 chickens at home & whilst we are still very much reading up on it I wondered if anyone would be able to tell me if they ruin the grass lawn.

I only have a small back garden, we were thinking of building the hen house in a unused border of the garden & placing bark down, then letting them out onto the whole garden everyday to roam.  This includes a lawn area of around 20 x 10 ft.  This is currently used for all the family.

I have heard that they will make it a little patchy & that the grass will come back better the following year but I am concerned that I am going to end up with a mud patch!

Any advice/links useful.
Cheers, julie

[Porffor]

The others will come along with full advice, but as a new chicken keeper.. I'm saying yes.. they'll scratch and shuffle.. but if it's only for a short time each day then you'd likely be ok.. the main run in bark or shingle will be fine, though the others top up their bark (I use shingle) every so often.

Welcome to the forum! I'm sure you'll love chicken keeping, it really is a complete family affair!

[GrannieAnnie]

Believe me, you could end up with a mud patch!!!!!  but like Porffor says, if you restrict the time they stay on the lawn, then it won't be so bad.  But if its used by the whole family, remember they will poop on it too!!!!

and hi and welcome from me too Julie!!!!!

[peggyprice]

Mine spend all their time freeranging on my lawn and so far (nearly two months) the only bit they've scratched up is where there was a bald patch anyway from me removing a shrub.  They just nibble the grass (and pick at the dandelions  :oops: )

The trick is to keep their run somewhere away from your lawn - that's the bit they REALLY make a mess of with the scratching   So if you keep them in your border I'd have thought your lawn should be fine  

[Aunt Sally]

My two little darlings have been free ranging on my small garden for 3 years.  I think the secret is that they have their own digging garden in the shrubbery you can see at the far end of the garden.

[Poolfield2]

Chooks need a dustbath and if they happen to select an area of your lawn to dig in it can go bald and hollows where they wriggle about. I'd keep them in the run and let them roam when your out there with them to minimise the damage. They are worth it and you'll be so besotted that you'll stop calling it lawn and call it the grass patch  

[Poolfield2]

Aunt Sally those girls are giving us a very haughty look, they know they are gorgeous and are posing for the camera.

[Aunt Sally]

They are standing at the back door making the window dirty and pooing on the step  

They free range all of most days and eat the grass but never dig it up.  It's much easier digging in their garden, they're not daft and take the easiest option  :roll:

[Fifitrix]

Mine trashed the lawn or was that my 9 year old boy playing football? :roll:  :roll:

[Aunt Sally]

did they have a digging garden ?

The hens I mean, not the 9 year old !

Thinking back to when my boys were small the grass was far worse then  :roll:

[Fifitrix]

did they have a digging garden ?

The hens I mean, not the 9 year old !

Thinking back to when my boys were small the grass was far worse then  :roll:

Well they had extensive shrubbery, full of mud and interesting things to dig in.  They did spend half their time in there but the other half was spent trashing my lawn  :evil:

However, I will concede that the bare patches were already down to the footballer.   and I guess the hens were just not giving it a chance to recover.  It's come on leaps and bounds since they were penned off.  Although the bald patches are still there and will be until my son grows out of football.  :roll:   Not that I'm wishing the time away of course.  :oops:

[Aunt Sally]

Ahh... I see, the hens were taking advantage of the already bare patches.

No football been played on my lawn for years  

My chooks are model hens, so well behaved    Except for the pooing on the step  

[violet]

My three tend not to spoil the grass,  BUT....any bit of soil, with or without plants is totally vandalised in minutes!

And why do hens poo right by the door to my house...not theirs, mine! One of lifes mysteries I suppose.........

[ness]

Mine have added to the lawn!  I'm sure a winter of lovely chicken poo have made out lawn better!  They tend to graze the lawn and dig in the flower beds, ideal!  They are only bantams though, I don't know whether that makes any difference.  They are kept off the lawn in the summer to limit the poo issue!

[Porffor]

mine have selected a 'digging' patch in their run.. just inside the gate! so the slab i laid to stop my feet getting muddy is covered in mud! a rethink has lead us to make the egg collecting door and opening of our sliding door on the new house available from outside their run! hindsight is a wonderful thing
Aunt Sally, love your set up looks cosy.. the feeding bowls on the eglu are cool