[kensington chicks]

Hi everyone,

I have been reading through some of the old theads on giving Grass Cuttings to the girls but I haven't come to a conclusion if its OK or not ? 

Is it Ok to give them a small amount?

Thanks KC x

[joyfull]

very short clippings are ok but after an hour or so you must remove any left as grass goes sour very quickly 

[kensington chicks]

Thanks Joyful,

As it is always sunny when the lawn is mowed, it would be easy to time the girls and then take it out.  It seems a shame not to let them have it.

Thanks for very quick reply

KC

[Bogof]

Whenever I cut the grass I put all the cuttings in the run in a big pile the girls have a great time scratching through it answer spreading it about. they don't seem to eat much just look through for bugs. I then just leave it as a clean floor covering.

[hillfooter]

It's a risky practise as grass cuttings ferment very quickly in warm weather and if you allow them to eat it once it's started to ferment it can cause sour crop which can prove fatal.  It's all well and good thinking you can control the situation but one day you'll forget or leave it too long and the damage will be done.  Why risk it I would say.
HF

[kensington chicks]

Don't like the sound of that hillfooter

I think I will heed your advice.  I am not a gambler by nature and my girls come first.

Thanks
KC x

[Lindeggs]

Also if the grass is long and fibrous it can form into a tough ball and cause an impacted crop - different to sour crop but also potentially a major problem.  Again, short, tender clippings are likely to be fine but long stringy bits can be dangerous.

It also depends on how motivated your chickens are to eat the clippings.  If they are penned and the cut grass is the only greenery they have, then they are likely to eat more than is good for them, resulting in problems.  In my case my girls roam around the lawn all day.  When the grass is cut they are free to eat the cuttings.  But in fact they tend to not eat the cut grass and prefer to pick their own fresh grass to eat.

[Sassy]

I second hillfooter - grass cutting can be dangerous for any bird or animal 

[henamoured]

I've always given mine grass cuttings as long as they are short and don't contain too many leaves or twigs without any ill effects so far.

They love scratching through it and seem to self-regulate their consumption. However my run is very dry so the grass tends to go dry rather than ferment, so that is one particular problem I haven't got - amongst many that I have!! (But that's a different thread... and forum!)