[Silkysmooth]

Dear All,

I have 14 chooks living in a large coop with surrounding pen (barrier'd by wire)

Unfortunately the chooks have nicely gone through all the grass and have left a mud pit!

can I give them short cut grass or will the mix corn that I give them do?

or must I lay some new grass down?

Many thanks

Andy

[Ayupmeduck]

Mine have stripped their pen down to bare earth, so I regularly rotate birds into the chicken tractor and they get all my weeds to pick through along with any greens. I've started some grass seed in trays to give them too. Seeding anything while they are in there is a waste of effort and the few days it took them to destroy the well established grass in their pen makes me wonder if it would be worthwhile sowing more. Covering an area of the pen has helped as it stays dry and doesn't get churned up!

[Pretty Chick]

I don't give my chickens cut grass because it could result in the chickens having impacted crops.
My chickens adore corn, so I'm sure yours would enjoy around a handful a day  .

A while ago we layed down some grass in all 3 of the chickens' enclosures, but that soon disappeared  .

Are your chickens able to dust bathe?

[Silkysmooth]

Thanks for your replies!

the chickens get mixed corn everyday but i was concerned about their green intake!

Chickens can dust bathe at the moment as they have dried silty earth and are always ruffling themselves in it...

because i'm on an allotment it is hard to rotate the pen (its firmly in the ground and limited space)

All I was wondering is if bare ground will do any harm at all?

Thanks

Andy

[Aunt Sally]

Layers pellets contain all the nutrients they need.  They do enjoy some fresh greens as an extra though and some mixed corn in the late afternoon.

[Casey76]

You could have a green cabbage up for them to peck at, or buy a roll of turf.

Although people say not to give chooks cut grass as it can lead to crop impactions, i often empty out the lawnmower box into the pen in a big heap.  the chickens love scratching through it, but they don't eat it.

Having said that it appears that my French hens behave differently to English hens in a few ways lol!!!

[joyfull]

grass clippings can go off very quickly so any not eaten within a short space of time should be scooped up and removed to the compost bin.