[pandora]

I like to see my birds wandering about and pecking at greenery, but due to the fact that I loose a hen to the fox every time I open the door to their pen (that's how it feels, anyway!) I keep them in a pen. The pen is about 180m2 (15x12m,) for 20 hens and 8 ducks. It has been stripped of every bit of greenery in there. Does anyone split their pen in two and graze one side and rest the other in order to keep some greenery in there? Has anyone tried using something fast growing like a green manure seed to keep an amount of greenery growing for their birds? Advice please!

[joyfull]

this is something that lots of people do - infact I have seen it where a coup has 4 pop holes and each week a different one is opened - revealing a new patch of ground for their hens. This gives each patch 3 weeks to try and recover. The problem is the ducks who will strip bare any ground in seconds - like geese they are huge eating and poohing machines  Plus their water quickly turns the ground to mud.

[Sassy]

It's a good idea and also helps to keep the ground sweet.